Shinobi no Ou to Vanadis
by Icarus K
Summary: Caught in the middle of a brewing civil war Naruto is thrown into a role where he can affect its outcome. Is he ready to lead another war when he had just ended one? The first Naruto/Madan no Ou crossover.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or Madan no Ou to Vanadis

He felt the power of his biju recede back within him leaving him back in his regular state. The wounds on his body which were healing at a pace close to regeneration started to slow allowing blood to leak from the openings and cover his form.

He glared at his opponent with cold fury as the elder Uchiha looked back with distain. There was a look of superiority to him even though he looked just as worn out as he was. With his arms crossed, the man regarded him with calm assurance.

Naruto gritted his teeth hard as the taste of metal filled his senses. He would be hard pressed to make a comeback considering Kurama was the only reason he stood toe to toe with the madman but the impossible didn't faze him at all. The idea of losing never even crossed his mind.

With a deafening roar Naruto charged at the Uchiha with a swirling orb in hand. Madara just stood as if finding the whole thing beneath his time. He truly pitied the boy not only due to his clouded views but because he could not be a part of the peace he would create. Unfolding his arms he spread them out almost as if he was welcoming the attack.

Anger bubbled inside him as he saw Madara open himself up. Anger ripped through him as his mind drew back to all the deaths that the mad man had caused. Anger was the most prominent emotion building up within him but the feeling of elation closely followed.

He smirked at the last moment as his jutsu made contact.

" **Rasengan!"**

The ball of pure chakra dug into Madara's torso mincing flesh and shredding bones but the man just looked down on his assailant almost bored.

"Is this all," a dribble of blood flowed from his mouth showing that he was taking damage from the attack. "Truly pathetic."

Naruto just gritted his teeth as he kept pouring the last bits of chakra he had left. It was pretty much do or die for him at this point. He was willing to die but he wasn't going to go down without taking this bastard down with him.

The rasengan kept shredding into Madara's body but with his regenerative healing thanks to Hashirama's cells the wound was pretty much all for show.

"You can't defeat me with this insignificant technique."

"I'm not trying to beat you with this." Naruto said allowing a grin to form on his lips. "I'm just stalling so someone else can finish the job for me."

The sound of crackling lighting reverberated across the field. Even with the sound of the rasengan digging into Madara's flesh the sound of high voltage electricity could be heard.

Madara's eye's widened as he struggled to move away from the blond, and whatever plan he had, but Naruto held fast and used the rasengan that was dug into Madara's torso to keep him in place.

"Now Kakashi-sensei!"

" **Kamui Raikiri!"**

Appearing almost out of nowhere Kakashi delivered a godspeed thrust right through Madara's back. The lighting imbued hand easily pierced through flesh and connected with Naruto's own rasengan. Utilizing the warping effect of Kamui, Madara and Naruto were thrown into Kamui's dimension as the connecting power of the rasengan and raikiri created a flash of blinding explosion.

Naruto could feel Madara's body literally disintegrate from the inside as the built up of power destroyed him. A look of absolute anger and shock was etched on the man's face as his life was quickly extinguished by the blast.

Naruto could feel the vortex of power pulling him in as he allowed himself to be carried into the abyss. A smile formed on his face.

' _It's finally over.'_

* * *

The sun was out and the gentle breeze of the wind made the day so much more comforting and inviting. With a smile on her face the girl set her hazel brown hair in her usual twin tail style as she got ready for the day. Her cheery mood, and ever present smile on her face, was quite infectious that even the birds outside her windowsill sang in delight. Not literally but if this were a fairy tale then they would be.

She left her room and got ready to do her work. As a maid of house Vorn Titta has many responsibilities from cleaning the house to tending to the gardens outside. She loves her job and enjoyed serving them; though with the death of Urs Vorn the family was left with a single member. Along with his death the title, Earl of Alsace, was passed down to his only son Tigrevurmud Vorn.

An amazing young boy full of compassion and kindness the young Earl Tigre, as his friends called him, had inherited his father's mettle and would no doubt have been a fine ruler. Unfortunately the young man had died due to injuries during one of his hunt just two summers ago effectively ending the Vorn line. His death had been a blow to not only Titta, who was his childhood friend and personal maid, but also all of Alsace.

With the young Earl passing, the town of Alsace had been delegated to a close friend of the family Mashas Rodant, Earl of Aude. Earl Rodant had chosen to allow the town of Alsace to be a separate state from Aude in memory of his close friend but not everyone in the kingdom approved of his decision. The nobles of Brune had clamored for the land to be divided up but the Early of Aude had managed to gain enough support to keep the status quo.

Titta hummed to herself as she got ready to head into town. Their food supply was down so a trip to the market place was necessary. It actually surprised her that they were going through their supplies so fast. Even with only her and Bertrand, the family's loyal attendant, the amount of food they went through was astounding. Then again they had daily visitors from all over the town coming to pay their respects to their fallen Earl. Even two years removed the people of Alsace still took the time to pay their respects to the kind family of Vorn.

Making her way outside Titta couldn't help but stop and enjoy the warm sunlight. Walking along the path towards the town she took in the beautiful view that Alsace had to offer. Even if her opinion was completely biased she would have to say that Alsace is one of the most beautiful towns in all of Brune. While it didn't contain the hustle and bustle of a lively city it had its own charm. The silent beauty of the country side is without a doubt the best, from the sea of greenery to the bleeding corpse on the ground…

Wait.

Titta stopped cold in her tracks as her eyes settled on a lifeless form near the edge of the path. Her first reaction was to run away, which in her opinion was the normal reaction for any person, but having caught sight of the slight rising and falling of the corpse's chest her own good nature made it impossible for her to run now. Actually she still wanted to run but damn her benevolence.

Quickly gathering herself she rushed over to the body to check the damages. The amount of wounds on the man was astonishing. There were laceration all over his torso and broken bones that had manage to pierce skin. A gruesome sight that made her wonder how it was even possible for the man to be alive.

She wanted to turn away from the sight. She really did. She was just a maid after all. She only dealt with blood when she got cuts from cooking, or maybe a cleaning mishap here and there. This, however, was something even trained medics would have a hard time facing. She steadied herself as her eyes wandered from his body and landed on his face.

Her heart stopped. His hair was the color of maroon. Whether it was from the blood or his natural color didn't matter to her. The same red colored hair that her childhood friend used to have. Even though there were subtle differences in their facial structure she couldn't help but identify this person as Tigre, if only for a split moment.

She shook her head to clear the thought from her mind and gathered the wounded man over her shoulder. She attempted to drag his body into the estate but it wasn't easy as she was already sweating and gasping for breath within a few minutes. The adrenalin rushing in her pushed her until she was able to get him inside but after this she was going to have to think about exercising more. Just in case she'd have to lug around another bleeding corpse in the future. She really hopes that doesn't happen again.

By the time she had managed to drag the half dead person into the house she was dripping with sweat and covered in blood. Not even caring if any of the furniture got stained she just hauled the injured man onto the sofa.

"Titta, what's all the commotion."

An old man with a half-balding head of hair entered the room only for his eyed to widen comically at the sight. The last thing Bertrand expected to see at the start of the day was to find not only Titta covered in blood from head to toe but a stranger with an absurd amount of wounds bleeding all over the room. Today probably wasn't going to be one of those carefree days.

"Titta what is—"

"Get a bowl of water and some clean rags!"

Completely out of breath Titta felt a little bad for being rude but at the moment her anxiety and exhaustion was playing a big role in her mood. She could understand the kind old man's shock but there were more pressing issues to deal with, like the half dead man on the sofa.

Bertrand gave her a look that said she had a lot of explaining to do but otherwise did as she said and left the room to find the supplies she had asked for. Left alone with the bleeding man Titta couldn't help but go over his features once again.

The rising and falling of his chest was a little erratic but from the amount of injuries that he had she figured it could have been worst. Her eyes drew to his hair once again. It was long and matted down by the blood, soaking it until it was the same color. She could now tell that she was wrong about her observation that he had the same color hair as her childhood friend Tigre. There were wisps of sun kissed blond hair that wasn't touched by blood allowing her to identify his natural hair color. His face was lean and haggard but that was expected considering his current condition. He had an uncanny resemblance to Tigre but at the same time it was easy to tell that he and her dead friend were two completely different people. The three scars across both of his cheeks only accentuated that point. Her hands started to trace those scars almost as if she had to physically remind herself that this was not Tigre.

"He certainly does have similar features to our late charge."

Carrying a large bowl of warm water and a few clean rags Bertrand spoke in a soft but carrying voice. Titta was actually a little surprised at his sudden appearance having been too caught up with her musing but she managed to hide the jump of fright.

"Yes, he certainly does."

Taking the rags, and bowl of water, from the man's hands she set it down beside her and dipped the clean linen into the bowl. Carefully she started with his face and wiped away the blood in a slow but thorough manner, almost as if she was handling delicate glass. In a way she way but her reasoning's for her careful behavior wasn't due to that. The rag was already blood soaked from the amount of blood on his face and the warm water was starting to turn a light red color.

"Where did you find him Titta?"

"In the clearing by the path heading towards the village."

"I see." A frown marred his wrinkled face but the girl didn't see it. "Are you sure it's wise to just pick up a stranger?"

She turned to him with a sharp look that made him wince but didn't show it. A disapproving look formed on her face but she just turned back and continued to clean the wounds.

"You're right it's probably not wise with war springing up all around us but I'm just doing what anyone in this house hold would do…" There was a pause as she once again dipped the rag in the warm water further dying the liquid in red.

"Aye, you're right. They would have done the same in your stead." The girl gave him a faint nod and continued her work.

"I'll call for the doctor and have him help with the injuries."

Titta gave the old man a silent thank you as she once again devoted her attention to cleaning the man's injuries.

"He would have been very proud of you, Titta."

She didn't acknowledge the man's words at first and instead settled for continuing her cleaning. After washing the cloth she turned and held the red dyed bowl of water out to him.

"Could you fetch me some more water?" Bertrand nodded and took it from her hands. "And thank you."

The last part was said in a whisper but even in his old age the man was able to catch it. He gave the girl a silent nod and left to refill the bowl.

* * *

25,000 men had entered Dinant plains with burning patriotism for the kingdom of Brune. They had marched to the battle area with only one goal in mind; defeat Zhcted. Expecting certain victory with their valiant Prince at the helm, it should have been an easy win since they outnumbered the enemy 5 to 1. Their moral high and the advantage on their side victory were almost certainly assured.

Eleonora Viltaria, or Ellen as most of her close companions called her, surveyed the once empty plain of Dinant. Bodies of her kingdom's enemies littered the ground soaking the very ground red. Their enemy had the advantage in almost all aspects of the battle but she did not come into the fight hoping for a battle. No, she went into the fight when their enemy had their backs turned and ambushed them before there was even one.

With the Brune army having the clear advantage in men she had instead attacked in the middle of the night hoping to strike when they weren't expecting. The strategy had work to perfection making her pity the opposing army for not expecting such a simple tactic.

While the Brune army clearly had quantity on their side her army was much better organized. Even at the young age of 16 she was still one of the seven Vanadis in the Kingdom of Zhcted, one of the most powerful women in the land along with being one of its best commanders.

Her long silvery hair was draped over her shoulder, disheveled but none the less beautiful. There was a lingering bit of sadness as her wine red eyes gazed out towards all the blood shed she was responsible for but the feeling died just as quickly as it had appeared. Her army had massacred thousands of men today. Families will weep for their fallen fathers and brothers. All of it would be on her.

A calming hand grasped her shoulder as she broke her gaze from the field of bodies and looked to her companion, Limlisha. A beautiful woman with pale blonde hair tied to the side in a single ponytail and cold blue eyes, she stood taller than her by a good half a head with breasts larger than anyone else she knows say for maybe one. She was without a doubt her closest companion. Having gone through many battles where their lives were put on the line, she couldn't think of a closer friend in her life.

"It was a thorough victory, Vanadis-sama."

A small smile played on Ellen's lips. "That it was. It was a battle to be proud of."

"Vanadis-sama!" A young man ran towards her and her companion. He took a second to catch his breath before reporting his findings. "The Brune prince has fallen!"

Her eyes widened at the news. She hadn't expected her ambush to reach all the way to the prince. She had thought that at best she would be able to take down half of their rankings before they fled but if what the scout said was true then she would need to quickly notify the King.

"Is this true?"

It wouldn't be wise to make quick assumptions but the scout frantically nodded his head.

"Aye, it's true. The ambush had managed to catch the Prince off guard as most of their army was in the middle of a feast. It seems that we struck right when they were celebrating."

Once again she couldn't help but feel a little bit of pity for the other army. It wasn't the fault of the common man when leadership was that poor. To celebrate before even the beginning of a battle is beyond poor leadership.

"I need you to double check this rumor, then triple check it!"

The man saluted her and left to follow her orders.

"Lim we have a lot of work to do."

The young woman nodded and quickly fell into step with her leader.

"We need to prepare for our next course of action. I believe that if the rumors are true then King's next order will leave us little time to prepare. I have a strange feeling about what's about to happen."

Lim just gave her friend a questioning look but didn't comment on the last part. Even though Ellen was one of the most powerful women in the kingdom of Zhcted she was still a young girl and like any young girl she was prone to childish premonitions.

"Oh don't give me that Lim," Ellen gave the young woman a pouty look that most would think didn't belong in the battle field. Then again Ellen just marched to the beat of her own drum. "This isn't just anything to scoff at. Even Arifar can feel it."

Almost as if answering its master's call a strong wind blew caused by the sword on her side.

"I see." She couldn't deny it if even one of the famed dragon tools agreed with it master. She would put it in the back of her mind but for now there were more pressing matters to deal with. "Regardless I agree we have much to do and little time for idle superstition."

Ellen gave the busty girl a teasing look.

"I like you better when you're cute and agreeable."

Lim blushed prettily at her friends words.

"Vanadis-sama!"

Ellen just giggled at her friends reactions. It was so fun to break that strict persona of hers and oh so easy to do.

"That's probably why your breasts are so big, if you keep hiding that cute side of yours then who knows how big they'll get in the future."

The only response she received was a harsh glare from the girl. The crimson blush on her face did little to help her look intimidating though as Ellen just laughed loudly at her friends face. It was nice to have little moments like these.

* * *

Naruto bit back a groan as he slowly woke from unconsciousness. Already he could feel the subtle muscle aches all around his body and the slight stinging sensation of deep wounds. He wanted to open his eyes but at the moment the darkness was all too consuming. Aside the minor pains in his body he felt very comfortable in whatever hospital bed the Alliance ninja's had put him in. At least they were stepping up the thread count on the bed sheets or he would have already been plotting a way to get out.

His nose twitched and instead of smelling the strong smell of alcoholic disinfectants he instead was surprised to catch a whiff of a strong earthy smell that reminded him of the forests back in Konoha. Not that he minded too much though. Actually he actually preferred the smell of the woodlands over any hospital, any day.

A swell of emotions erupted in his chest when he thought about his home village. They were safe now. A small smile formed on his lips as he recalled the last thing that registered in his mind before everything turned dark. They had managed to do it. They won!

He couldn't contain his joy as he allowed his eyes to open thinking that all of his friends would be the first thing he sees. His vision was blurry at first but even then he could already tell that he wasn't in any type of hospital. Actually now that everything started to clear up he could see that it looked more like he was in someone's bedroom. The sounds of birds chirping brought his attention to the window sill right by where he was laying and couldn't help but marvel at the sight.

Thick tree's as high as the ones in Konoha as far as he could see. They didn't look like any he had ever seen in Konoha and couldn't help but think that the different shade of colors looked beautiful. Fallen leaves of different bright shades riddled the ground creating a sea of mismatching colors.

His eyes tracked a single leaf that was blown into the room only to land on a girl. He had to blink at the sight as he wasn't quite sure who she was. On a chair by his bed side was a girl with hazel brown hair tied in two ponytails. She looked really cute asleep with her mouth slightly open but the maid outfit that she wore put a slight vulnerability to her.

He didn't know who she was but from the amount of damp rags around the bed side he could tell that the girl had been the one nursing him. A smile tugged on his lips as he slowly reached out to her and shook the sleeping girl lightly to wake her up.

Titta felt something hold her shoulder and shake her lightly. She groaned in annoyance and just shrugged off whatever it was and attempted to snuggle into the uncomfortable chair she was trying to rest in.

Naruto thought that the girl looked absolutely adorable with the way she scrunched up her face at his attempt to wake her. His inner prankster was on high alert as he surveyed around him to find something to tease the sleeping girl with.

Sitting up he saw a plate with bread and cheese on the table by his bedside. His mouth water slightly at the sight but his need to tease the girl won out. He grabbed the long thin loaf and proceeded to poke the girl's cheek with it. Naruto chuckled as the girl once again frowned in discomfort and started to swat at the loaf.

Titta could feel a prodding on her cheek but every time she would swat at the annoyance it would already be gone. Her eyes fluttered open to deal with whatever it was that was keeping her from her sleep.

"Good morning…"

"Good morning~"

She yawned cutely and answering reflexively. She craned her neck to get the kinks out from sleeping in such an uncomfortable position and stretched out her body. A feeling of content washed over her as the little after sleep stretch stimulated her but froze once her sleep muddled brain finally started to function.

"Good morning?"

It was repeated but she said it more to herself. Who had greeted her?

"We already said that."

Titta 'eeped' cutely as her hands went to cover her mouth and her eyes widened at the once unconscious man. The last thing she had expected was to wake up to the sight of the injured man holding the loaf of bread she had set aside, smiling at her with a sheepish grin. She was at a loss for words.

"I um, uh what I mean." She couldn't quite articulate her current train of thought. She expected the man to wake up sometime soon but having the situation spring up so suddenly left her unable to form the words to express herself. "You're um, all better now."

She mentally winced at the stupid comment but he just gave her an amused look.

"I am and I'm guessing I have you to thanks for my recovery?"

"Yes but it wasn't just me the doctor patched you up too. I just helped with the cleaning."

"None the less thank you. It looks like you've been looking after me for a while."

Titta waved her hands in front of her bashfully.

"No, no. Not at all, you were only recovering for 3 days so it was no trouble at all."

"Three days huh," He whispered under his breath. He didn't expect his injuries to be so severe that he would be bed ridden for 3 days. "Then that's more of a reason to thank you."

"No, please there's nothing to thank me for."

Naruto couldn't help but like the overly humble girl. She was also quite bashful in a way that reminded him a little bit of the young Hyuuga heiress. Well maybe not as shy since she has yet to faint… He really hopes that doesn't happen.

"None the less you've been very kind to me. Allow me to at least thank you for that."

Titta blushed prettily. "Ah yes of course, you're very welcome."

Naruto stretched out his arms in an exaggerated manner and crinkled out his sore muscles. He gave the girl a wide grin as he formally introduced himself.

"I'm Uzumaki Naruto by the way but you can just call me Naruto."

"Ah yes my name is Titta, nice to meet you Naruto-san."

Bowing slightly in greeting her polite nature sprang up as they introduced themselves. She thought that his name was actually quite strange but that would be rude to say out loud.

"Can I ask you if we won?"

"Won?" A questioning look formed on her face. She would hate to see the loser if winning entitled being as battered as Naruto was. "Um, I'm sorry. I'm not quite sure what you're asking me."

"Oh I see," Now that he thought about it from what he saw outside the window the place looked like it hadn't been touched by the war. He didn't think any place in the continent was left untouched by Madara but it looks like he might have landed in the only place in all of the Elemental Nations. Better to not say after all. If Madara was still alive then chances are he wouldn't even be here and having this conversation to begin with. Ignorance was bliss and all of that nonsense so no need to talk about a dead man and needlessly worry the poor girl. "Actually never mind don't worry about it."

"R-Right," She had no idea what he was talking about but just accepted it.

"By the way can you tell me where we are exactly? I'm not really familiar with this place."

"Oh of course, we're in Alsace."

"Alsace?" He tilted his head in a questioning manner. He's never heard of the place.

"Yes its—"

"Titta!"

A loud voice shouted cutting the girl off and causing the two to visibly jump in surprise at the same time. A man with a thick greying beard and a head of similarly colored hair, that looked to be half balding, rushed into the room out of breath. He had a frantic look on his face as his eyes surveyed the room before landed on Naruto. His eyes widened all of a sudden before he shook his head as if to jar him out of his thoughts and instead quickly grasped the young maid by the wrist.

"We must make haste Titta. Alsace is to be invaded."

The young girl gasped at the news. Her hands covered her mouth as her eyes widened in fright. Naruto looked between the two and couldn't help but feel slightly out of the loop. He could understand as much that the news that the man had just delivered meant trouble but he felt that he was missing a good chunk of information.

"Invaded? Who would do such a thing?"

"Yes invaded," the old man looked torn between getting the hell out of there as quickly as possible and explaining the whole thing at that moment. He gave Naruto a suspicious look as he considered the pros and cons of telling information in front of a stranger. "By the Thenardier Army of Nemetacum."

Titta once again let out a gasp as Naruto started to piece together everything. It seemed like this place, Alsace or whatever Titta had said, is about to be invaded by an army.

"Now there's no time for anymore idle chatter, I need you to escape with the towns folks. Evacuate to the Northern Forest and hopefully they'll settle for just sacking the town and leave the innocents alone."

He tugged at Titta's hand once again and found that the girl would not budge. A nervous thought entered his mind but quickly squashed it hoping that the girl wouldn't be thinking what he thought she was thinking.

"Titta there's no time for this. We need to hurry and escape quickly."

Instead Titta stood her ground and gave the old man a firm look. "I'm not leaving."

He could feel a headache forming as his worst thoughts became reality.

"There's not time to—"

"I'm not leaving Alsace."

There was finality in her statement that left Bertrand with little room to argue. A resigning look formed on the man's face as he know that once the girl made a firm decision then there would be little he could do to convince her out of her stance. Honestly young girls these days are so much more stubborn.

"Very well it seems that I won't be able to convince you out of this absurd idea."

Titta nodded with a look of determination on her face. She would not leave Tigre's home to be ransacked by a bunch of honor less thieves. Her fallen friend deserved better and even if she could do little she wouldn't betray his memory by just abandoning the town he loved.

"If I can't convince you to leave then I guess I'm going to have to stay as well." The old man wearily took a seat on one of the chairs in the room and folded his arms. He had a look that said he understood the consequences of his decision, and it made him look even more his age. "We can't just leave Urs-sama and Tigre-sama's home undefended."

Titta just stared at the old man in shock. She attempted to persuade him out of the idea but one look from him quickly shut her mouth up.

"If a young lady such as yourself were to stay while I run away then I wouldn't be able to face either of our Lords once I meet them on the other side. So you can just stop your protest right this instant."

Titta smiled uneasily and said nothing more.

Bertrand just huffed in affirmation before setting his sights on the injured patient with them. He gave Naruto a scrutinizing stare while said blond just grinned brightly at him completely disregarding the mood.

"You should get out of here as quickly as you can stranger. The villagers will show you the way. Just follow the path outside and it should lead you to the rest of the townsfolks."

Naruto tilted his head as he tried to comprehend the weird accent that the people of Alsace seemed to have before a look of recognition crossed his face. He gave them a sheepish grin as his hand found itself tugging at his hair in a flustered manner.

"Well I was actually thinking that I'd, um, stick around as well."

The two Alsace citizens just gave the sheepish blond a disbelieving look that only made him feel even more self-conscious. Titta was the first to recover and opened her mouth to say something but the words died in her throat causing her to quickly close her mouth. Bertrand however had a lot to say.

"Do not be a fool child! You have no reason to doom yourself as well."

Naruto scoffed at being called a child.

"I'm not a child old man, and of course I have a reason for staying."

Bertrand gave him a heated stare feeling frustrated at the nonchalant attitude of the young man. He didn't have any particular feelings towards the blond but he wasn't going to condemn another person.

"And what reason would that be."

Naruto turned his gaze from the old man and stared Titta in the eye. The girl just stared back with a mixture of confusion and bewilderment as a grin once again formed on the young man's face.

"Well to return the favor of course."

Bertrand just gapped at the injured young man as a faint blush spread across Tittas face. She didn't know why she felt embarrassed at his words but the comment had left her feeling flustered.

"Stop this nonsense child and leave with the other villagers. We did not nurse you back to health just to gain your favor. Don't disregard Titta's effort in healing you by staying with us when you are still clearly injured."

Bertrand's words knocked Titta out of her flustered state as she quickly nodded along with what Bertrand was saying.

"That's right Naruto-san. I'm happy that you want to thank me but this isn't the way to do it. Just knowing that you'll escape to safety with the rest of the townsfolks is more than enough."

Titta smiled gently at Naruto who just sat on the bed with his arms crossed and his eyes squinted in a stubborn manner. Obviously they didn't know who he is otherwise they wouldn't be so quick to dismiss his help even in his current state. Considering they were so far away that they weren't even aware of the war with Madara, it made sense that they didn't know just how strong he is but still. Uzumaki Naruto is not someone to dismiss so casually.

"Don't worry about me I'll be just fine. I'll protect you," he gave Titta a confident look before he switched his gaze back to the older attendant and waved his hand in a flippant way. "And don't you worry either old man; a few injuries aren't going to slow me down. So you can count on me to keep your wrinkly ass safe as well."

Bertrand stared into the young man's eyes and found confidence. It wasn't fake bravado that he was used to seeing in some of the younger soldiers but clear unwavering confidence. He didn't know much about the injured blond but those eyes were not about to back down, no matter what he had to say. Sighing in defeat he tore his eyes away from those blue orbs and resigned himself to give up persuading him.

"Very well if that is your decision then I won't say any more, but enough with your disrespect!"

Naruto just grinned having out stubborn the grisly old man. He suddenly stood on the bed and posed in an exaggerated manner.

"Don't worry old man Uzumaki Naruto will show you that there's nothing to be afraid of. I'll make sure that your home is safe."

"Sit down and what did I just say about respect!"

Titta stared at the blond with her jaw hanging open. Where he gets his confidence from she had no idea but the way he was acting, it was like their situation was just an everyday occurrence for him. She could practically feel the confidence oozing from his pores and she would have shared in his confidence if it wasn't for the fact that the sudden action of standing up so quickly made his injuries flare up making him squat down quickly and clutch his sides in pain.

Titta stared at him sweat dropping at the scene in front of her and quickly turned to Bertrand hoping to convince the old man and make his see logic.

"Sir, please convince him to rethink his decision."

Bertrand just gave the maid a look that said he tried already. Titta just crossed her arms and puffed her cheeks in frustration.

"Mou fine! Do what you want, see if I care."

Naruto grinned and held his hands up in victory while the two Alsace residents just rubbed their forehead to keep the coming headache from forming. Even though he had only been awake for a short period of time they had a feeling that if he stuck around with them then he was going to drive them to an early grave. If they didn't get killed by the Thenardier Army first, that is.

* * *

Ellen held the contents of the letter that was delivered to her by the raven currently perched on her chair. She already had an idea of what the King would want her to do once the news of the Prince of Brune dying during battle reached him. It didn't take a strategic mind to deduce that Brune would be in shambles after such a loss and in such an unforgiving world showing weakness only beckoned the wolves.

"Lim," she said sharply causing the busty young woman to stand at attention. "Have 1,000 of our abled soldiers ready at a moment's notice. We move out as soon as possible."

Lim just gave her a silent nod and left the tent to attend to her duties. The letter had stated that their destination is to be Alsace, the little village near the Northeast border of Zhcted and Brune. It would only be a half days march to reach the village from their current position but there were a few complications. They weren't the only army marching with the same destination in mind.

She had sent scouts a head of time to a few of the closest villages around their area. She figured that one of those areas would be her next course. Thankfully Alsace was one of the areas that had been scouted.

The Intel they had received from her quick thinking may go a long way in saved a whole lot of lives. Another army from one of the wealthier cities in Brune was currently marching to Alsace looking to take advantage of the death of the Prince to gain more power. Truthfully she wasn't too surprised about that piece of information.

With the Prince dead and no heir to the throne it would only make sense for the power hungry to make their move now. She would use the chaos created by the other army and sweep right in to steal the victory when they have exhausted themselves with their in-country squabble. By amassing a smaller contingency there would be a smaller chance of them being detected.

Truthfully she held no opinion on the brewing civil war that was rising in Brune, but the King's orders are to be carried out no matter what. With that in mind she grabbed her Dragon Tool, Arifar, and attached it to her side.

She was surprised to note that it seemed to be pulsing with power. As sentinel objects, Dragon Tools choose their own masters when its previous owner dies. It has a mind of its own so for it to be pulsing out its wind left her with conflicted feeling. It's almost like the sword itself was excited for what was to come.

"What are you trying to tell me?" She whispered to the sword.

The wind continued to coat the sword swirling around it. Of course it couldn't answer in a way that she could understand but she could take a pretty good guess on what it wanted to say.

"I see," A faint smile formed on her face as she walked out her tent to see her men ready for the coming march. "It seems like the winds of change is blowing."

* * *

A wide grin was plastered on the face of Zion Thenardier as his troops marched down towards the village of Alsace. A modest force of almost 2,000 men would be more than enough for the hapless village that doesn't even have nobility anymore. This day had been a long one coming.

He had been looking forward to something like this for as long as he can remember. To finally be the one to put his father's ambition into motion motivated him almost as much as he relished in subjugating the lowly peasants of Alsace.

He had the finest armor and the sharpest of swords. There would be nothing to stop him from fulfilling his father's desires. As the visage of the town started to come into view he ordered his army to halt as scouts were sent to scour the place.

Truly there was no need to do such a thing. Alsace is but a tiny stepping stone that would offer no resistance to the coming change in Brune. As prosperous as it was with its yearly vegetation, Alsace offers very little when it comes to warfare. He would be surprised if they could even scrounge up a 100 men to counter act his vast forces, if any at all.

"Fetch me some wine, boy."

A lowly slave by his side bowed frantically as he quickly made to do just as he was told. Ah how he loved the power to control mere commoners. Nobility is all about power and he had power a plenty.

"Do you think it is wise to be drinking before a battle, milord?"

He barely even glanced at the one that made the comment. They were all just advisors, advisors that were not needed.

"It would not be goo—"

"Silence!" Raising his voice the various military advisors around him flinched at the tone. A small arrogant smile formed on his mouth at the effect his words had on them. "I am the General of this army and when I ask for wine then I shall have my wine."

Holding his hand out as if demanding they give him what he wanted. The slave that was rushing to get the wine he ordered came and put a leather wine skin pouch on his outstretched hand. He downed the contents of the pouch and gave the rest of his attendants a look that practically begged them to just try and undermine his authority. Of course no one did.

He continued to drink his wine feeling the slight buzz from the alcohol. The village was right in front of him and he could see the quiet beauty it had. It only made him want to destroy the place even more.

"When are the scouts going to return?" He roared finally unable to handle all the waiting. What was the point anyways when they were just going to raze the place to the ground?

"Thenardis-sama, we are in enemy territory. While Alsace might be small, the terrain around it is something our men are not used to. It would be wise to scout the area in case of surprise attacks."

He glared at the advisor willing to speak out to him. The man looked back in defiance but the sweat forming on his brows showed that he knows that he was toeing a very thin line. Zion just smiled at the man's nervousness.

"Well why didn't you just say so?"

The advisor let out a sigh of relief. "Of course my lord, forgive us for not being clearer."

"Yes, yes" he said just waving away the man. "Regardless we move out."

The advisor looked appalled when he heard Zion's words. "B-But my lord that would be—"

"That would be what, advisor?" Zion stared down the man unblinking.

"W-What I mean to say is that, that is a most wise course of action."

The man quickly backed down when faced with the prospect of death. Zion smirked at the cowering man and quickly dismissed him.

"We move in with 200 men to raid the village. From the look of things it's been abandoned. Those cowards, fleeing at the first sign of danger."

Seeing no one object to his plans Zion grabbed his spear and mounted his horse. He took a glance back as he gazed upon his army. Men lined up with armor and weapons all ready to destroy and pillage at his beck and call. Then his eyes settled on two hulking figures that the rest of the army had given a wide berth from.

Two colossal beasts easily the size of a house towered over the army. They were capable of destroying villages with just their breath and swallowing a man whole with just one crunching bite. While the Zhcted had the Vanadis and their Dragon Tools to bolster their ranks Brune had dragons to more than make up for it.

"It's only a pity that we won't be able to use these two. It would have been more fun to let them burn this place to the ground."

With one final look at the two hulking beasts he roused his mount and led the chosen 200 to claim the village ahead.

* * *

Nothing could compare to the heavenly food that is ramen but if Naruto was being truly honest with himself he would put this freshly baked bread that Titta made a close second. Ripping the soft roll with his teeth he happily munched on the food with an expression of bliss on his face.

"Oh man Titta this is absolutely awesome."

The girl gave him a tentative smile at the sight of Naruto devouring her cooking. He was eating at a pace that made her worry that he was going to choke. It's great that he enjoyed her food but chewing would go a long way in keeping her worries at a low.

"Boy, you need to slow down and chew your food properly."

She gave Bertrand a grateful look for voicing her thoughts as Naruto finished chewing the contents in his mouth.

"Right, sorry about that. I'm just so hungry. I feel like I haven't eaten for days!"

"You technically haven't but that doesn't excuse your lack of manners."

He just gave them a mischievous smile and childishly stuck out his tongue. An empty stomach was an empty stomach and if there was good food, like the rolls Titta made, in front of him then it wasn't his fault if he resorted to his old eating habits.

"They're not going anywhere plus shouldn't you be eating less? You're only a few hours removed from waking up from some pretty life threatening injury."

Naruto stopped his eating and flashed the old man with a grin. "I'm all good now, see?" He held up his arm and flexed to show how healthy he was. How that conveyed his current health was a mystery but the man didn't buy it.

"Put away those little water balloons of yours son. You're a few years too early to be showing off those skinny arms of your."

Titta suppressed a giggle as Naruto visibly deflated at Bertrand's words. She reached across the table and poked the blonde's arm and gave him a teasing grin.

"I don't know sir I don't think it's fair to say that they're water balloons." Naruto brightened up thinking that the young maid was on his side. "They feel more like air balloons to me."

This time she couldn't hold back her laughter as a look of utter betrayal formed on Naruto's face. She just couldn't help it the face was just too comical.

Bertrand let out a booming laugh as even Titta, who was usually more meek and reserved, was getting in on the teasing. It was a comfortable atmosphere that he didn't expect at all. With the invasion just around the corner he didn't think he'd be spending his last few moments before battle in laughter.

"I'm not skinny, I'm wiry." Naruto grumbled as he took a sulking bite into those fresh rolls.

"Yes, yes we can see that boy no need to pout."

He gave the old man a blistering glare and tried to correct him that he wasn't pouting. Real men don't pout. They sulk with dignity.

"Forgive me Naruto-san," Titta said with a shy smile as she wiped a tear from her eye. "You just looked so amusing pouting like that."

He gave the girl a look before sighing. He couldn't even be mad at her for saying that he was pouting when she had that meek doe like look on her face. He just settled for silent depression and eating his food with as much dignity as he could muster.

As he was about to take another bite a loud booming sound echoed from outside causing the happy atmosphere to instantly sour. A look a fear formed on Titta's face as Bertrand visibly tensed. He could see the old man's hand drift towards the sheathed sword by his side as the mood darkened.

"Aw man and I was hoping to at least get in a few more bites." Titta blinked at him not quite sure what she was hearing. Didn't he know the situation they were in? "Thanks for the food Titta it was delicious."

Standing from his seat Naruto patted himself down and started to stretch out his shoulder. A wide grin was on his face almost as if he had no care in the world. It was an unusual sight for both of the Alsace residents.

"I'd help with the dishes but it looks like the party's just about to start." He started to make his way towards where the sound came from but was stopped.

"Naruto-san what are you doing?" She asked in a frantic voice. "Don't go out there, it's dangerous!"

"She's right boy. Together we have a much better chance of surviving. Don't let youthful bravado cloud your judgement."

Naruto just tilted his head and furrowed his brows as he muttered under his breath. "I guess you guys really are far off from the shinobi villages."

"Please Naruto-san stay here for now. We'll confront them together."

He could see the look of fear in the girl's eyes and couldn't help but feel a tight burning anger form within him. This was exactly the kind of thing he fought to prevent. He walked over to the trembling girl and got down to her eye level. He gave her a comforting smile and placed a gentle hand on her head.

"Don't worry about me, I'll protect you. You have nothing to be scared of."

He could see the doubt in her eyes but didn't blame her for feeling that way. They didn't know who he was and what he was capable of. They had nothing to fear and he'll show them that.

"Old man, keep her safe. I'll be back with some good news so you better not kneel over before I come back."

With those parting words he vanished in swirl of leaves leaving the remaining two wide eyed. He disappeared right in front of their eyes.

Just who is Uzumaki Naruto?

* * *

The wind whipped around him as he ran at a break neck speed towards the town. While he was still hampered by the injuries he had sustained from the battle with Madara it didn't stop him from rushing into what could be another long battle. The aches in his bones were still there but the will to never abandon those in need reverberated within him more.

He saw the look in Titta's eyes and it tugged at his very nature. He saw herself rescinding to her fate thinking that this would be her last day living. It was a look he was all too familiar with.

He schooled his features as he finally arrived at his destination. He stood on top of the tallest buildings in the town looking over the so called army that had come to invade the village of the ones that had helped him.

Soldier were destroying homes and stealing valuables of any shop they could find. He could see the gleeful looks on their faces as they scavenged and pillage the deserted homes of the villagers. His fist tightened in anger before finally he had enough. With a loud cry he descended from him perch and knocked down a couple of soldier hold cases of expensive looking items.

They were completely unaware of his presence and didn't even have any time to give a shout as he literally landed on them. The pillaging men stopped in their tracks and looked on as a couple of their fellow soldiers were literally flattened by a blond missile.

"Uzumaki Naruto has entered the field! You thieving bastards better get ready because I'm about to kick some ass!"

There was a silence after the declaration. Most of the men were wide eyed and frozen as the blond haired ninja stood over a couple of soldiers with his arms folder over his chest. It took a couple of seconds for the army to get their bearings before the veterans finally got over their shock and pulled out their swords.

"Who the hell are you punk!?"

He didn't answer them but instead settled for making quick work of the ones that attacked him. It wasn't really that hard to fight them off. They were slow compared to those he had fought before and they're team work left a lot to be desired. A couple of men tried to circle around him hoping to catch him off guard once they saw that a full frontal attack wasn't going to work but a quick flick of his wrist sent a couple of kunai knives soaring. It cut the ropes of a sign that hung over the men sending the sign crashing into the soldiers.

"Are you all deaf as well as stupid? I said I'm Uzumaki Naruto!"

The quick defeat of their fellow soldiers left the others feeling a bit more apprehensive. Even with the obvious man advantage they have, the sight of a single teenager making quick work of a group of trained warriors left them weary of making another move.

The men stayed a good distance from him and started to circle around to cage him in. Naruto just smirked and allowed them to do it with his arms still crossed over his chest.

"What's happening!?" A man in red expensive armor roared as the men parted to let him through. Naruto could easily tell that the man was the one in charge. He had this arrogant look to him and shiny red expensive armor that looked like it was just recently bought and never used. "What are you fools doing?"

"Thenardis-sama, there is a man attacking our men."

Zion gave the soldier a hard stare and looked over to see Naruto smirking back at him.

"One man," these complete imbecils! "And all two hundred of you can't even handle one pathetic child. You are all a disgrace."

Naruto unfolded his arms and pointed at him. "Why don't you come down from your pretty little pony and say that to my face."

Zion just made a shooing motion with his hands. "I don't have time to waste on a lowly commoner like you." He made to turn his horse and barked out a command. "Dispose of this filt—"

A whizzing sound was heard as a kunai whipped past his cheek leaving an angry red line that poured blood.

"Did I get your attention now?"

A look of shock showed on Zions face as he shakily raised his hand towards the wound on his face. Red blood stained his hand and like a bull it only infuriated him even more.

"You dare injure my face!"

"Well yeah what did you expect? This is a battle, were you expecting me to just let you go when you turn your back to me. What an idiot, am I right?"

The soldiers gave no reply to his comment but he could see a few of them crack a small smile on their professional facade.

"You're mocking me!"

"It's just typical hero/villain banter. Jeez calm down a little. I haven't even said anything that demeaning… yet."

Zion's face reddened from anger. He's had just enough of this buffoon.

"Kill him. Kill his slowly, and then bring me his head so that I may piss on it later."

"Wow," Naruto said looking a bit green. "I-I think I'm going to have to decline this death and pee thing. I'm just not that kind of guy, you know? I'm sure one of these fine gentlemen will let you, ehem, relieve yourself on them." Sighing he slapped his cheeks with his hands and glanced around. "Alright boys let's get this over with. As you can see you're perverted leader needs a lesson in humility and I kind of want to do that before he makes any more trouble for my friends."

* * *

Ellen guided her soldiers into formation as they entered the town through the Eastern side. With the Brune army entering from the other side the rest of her troops, along with her second in command, had gone ahead and encircled the opposing force. Once her group takes care of the raiding squad in the town they'll be able to deal with the bigger army outside of the town walls with ease. Not only would they have the element of surprise but also the only landmark to operate in.

They made it into the town unopposed so hopefully the rest of the plan will work just as easily, though they were lucky in the sense that Alsace was close enough to the border of Zhcted that they were able to sneak in her army without alerting the opposing force.

Her small squad of only 100 men, including herself, swiftly made their way through the town and was surprised to see a sight that left most of them in shock. She was expecting the town to be riddled with soldiers pillaging the town to the ground but instead saw a sight that made her double take.

In the middle of a large squad of soldiers was a blond haired young man. He was fighting off the seasoned veterans with relative ease as he ducked and swayed away from each strike with random yet intricate movements that left many of the solders wide open to his attack. What made the whole thing even more insane was the fact that he was fighting them with his bare hands. The mere idea of fighting an army with your bare hands was complete suicide yet the man looks like he was winning.

"Come on! At least make this a challenge. You're all so slow in those fancy armor that I don't even need to use Kage Bushin to deal with you all."

The taunting only served to infuriate the soldiers that were less seasoned but the rest were starting to look like they were having second thoughts. As she continued to watch the one sided fight she found herself intrigued by the spectacle. Her heart beat started to pick up as she felt a rush of emotion bubble inside of her. A grin formed on her face before she announced herself with a loud cry.

"Uryahhhhh!"

The sudden war call startled the blond haired man but it didn't stop him from taking another soldier down with a timely punch. She noticed that while he kept his eyes firmly on his opponents he would make quick glances towards her and her men as if gauging if they were friend or foe.

A _hiss_ sound echoed and answered his thoughts as Ellen rushed in to the group and started to fight off the Brune soldiers. A wide smile was on her face as she mowed down the opposition with quickness and grace. She flowed around the soldiers like the wind as her own men joined in seeing their leader intervene herself into the mix.

As the mass of Brune soldiers started to thin out Naruto jumped from his position and ran along the walls. He made a spectacle of it but the Zhcted soldiers barely gave it a glance as they continued to fight back the few stragglers. In a crouch position he landed near Ellen, away from the masses and gave her a teasing grin. Before she could even say anything to him he ran off jumping along the walls away from the fight.

She couldn't help but chuckle as the blond used her and her army as a diversion to make his escape. She was more amused than mad really.

She ducked under a sword that would have cleaved her head off and returned with a sweeping kick of her own knocking the opposition down. A swipe of her sword left the man bleeding and dead in just a few moments.

Her eyes darted around surveying her surrounding as the last surviving Brune soldiers ran away. She sheathed her sword as her eyes stared straight ahead in the direction of where their mystery fighter had gone. A wry grin formed on her lips.

How interesting.

* * *

Titta shook as she heard the loud voices of the intruders entering the household. Even the presence of Bertrand right beside her wasn't enough to comfort her. As great of a warrior as the old man was there was only so much one old man could do.

She flinched once again as she heard the glee filled voices of the soldiers. Since it was the house of a noble there were many valuables around the compound, but in her hands was the most valuable of them all. A dark ebony bow, unstrung, was held tightly in her grasp. Even if they pillaged every scrap of items in the house this was the one thing she refused to give up without a fight.

The dark bow was the family heirloom to the Vorn's and she wouldn't be able to face her childhood friend in the afterlife if she was to give it up without any resistance. And with the way things were going it looks like she would be meeting with him sooner rather than later.

A comforting hand gripped her shoulder causing her to cease her trembling but the slight comfort she received from the old man didn't help her much with her fright. Still she gave him a timid smile to show him her appreciation for the kind gesture.

"Don't you worry Titta; I won't let them lay a finger on you."

Bertrand tried to give her a reassuring smile but even she could tell that the look was just as forced as her own. As grave as their situation was she couldn't help but wonder what had happened to Naruto. The enigmatic blond had just disappeared with a promise that things would be just fine but with the noise getting closer it was became harder to trust in his words. She closed her eyes as the noise of the intruders got closer and closer as her own anxiety rose with the passing seconds.

She wanted to say that she didn't let so much as a whimper escape her lips when the door was kicked open by those vile intruders but then that would be a lie. The door, broken from the kick, was the only thing separating them from the invading force. With it broken it allowed for the remaining men to flood the room.

Bertrand fought valiantly trying to repel the greedy men from coming any closer but there was only so much an old man could do as he was swiftly subdued by the overwhelming numbers. He struggled in their grasp with a bit of blood trickling down his face but he couldn't overpower the younger soldiers.

"It looks like today wasn't so much of a waste after all, men."

Titta flinched at the voice as the men around her gave grunting approval as their eyes switched between leering at her and paying attention to the one that spoke. Striding into the room was a young man that wore pristine red armor. He wore a cruel smile on his face that made her even more afraid. She kept her head down as her grip on the bow grew tighter as his footsteps got closer and closer.

"It was such a disappointment when we strolled into this backwater town to find no men to fight and no women to enjoy ourselves with."

The men all stomped their feet and roared in approval. She could practically feel their lust for blood and flesh as the house shook from their action. The man circled around her enjoying the little theatrics.

"I'll kill you where you stand you bastard scum." Bertrand wildly struggled in an attempt to loosen the grip of the soldiers holding him down to take down the smug bastard. They'd have to kill him first before they even laid a hand on the young girl. "I'll gut you boy."

The man pacing around her stopped and slowly moved towards Bertrand. He gave the older man a withering glare and drew his sword.

"Oh, and how are you going to do that when you can't even escape from my men." Zion held the point of his sword on the man's chest, right where his heart is. "I could stab you right now and that would be the end of it."

Titta closed her eyes as a few dribbles of tears leaked out. She couldn't watch this.

"I could do just that but…" He paused and drew back the sword. With his eyes staring straight into the old man's own he took a step back. A cruel smile once again formed on his face as if a bright idea had just entered his mind. Titta gasped in pain as her hair was roughly grasped by the man. He held her up to his face, never once breaking eye contact with Bertrand, and held his sword across her body. "Then you wouldn't be able to see what comes next."

Titta was shoved backwards while all the men laughed in amusement. They kept shoving her and pushing her around while Bertrand thrashed and shouted out insults, but that only served to rouse them even more. Never once did she let go of the bow even when finally the men, having enough of playing around, brought her out to the balcony where she was roughly shoved down.

Zion smiled in anticipation as his eyes roamed the quivering girl. Her eyes were shut tight with her hair and clothes disheveled. The dried tears on her cheeks only fueled his desire as he grasped the dagger from his waist. He kneeled down and grasped her shirt with his hand as his eyes once again met Bertrand's.

"We have all day and all night old man."

In those last few moments Titta finally lost her grip on the bow. Her tears once again leaked from her tightly shut eyes and just waited for it to all be over. She waited for the blade to cut away her innocence but the moment never came.

"AHHHHH!"

A loud scream echoed from above her. With her eyes still closed she had no idea what was happening. The grip around her loosened and she felt the man drop to her side screaming. She let out a gasp as she all of a sudden felt herself weightless. She could feel an arm hooked under her legs as another was around her back holding her close.

She didn't want to open her eyes because then this dream would shatter. She didn't want to have to open her eyes and see that her mind had played a trick on her. She was too scared so she kept them close and just listened to the soft thumping sound she was pressed up against.

Zion continued to scream while holding his right hand in pain. Embedded in his palm was a knife like object. Just as he was about to deal with the girl a projectile had been thrown, and with great accuracy hit him. Then, almost like the wind itself, a man had managed to weave himself around his men and snatch the girl from right under him.

The savior stood on the balcony wall carrying the helpless maid. His cold blue eyes surveyed the masses as they all unsheathed their weapons.

"Y-you again…!" Naruto's eyes locked into Zion's fallen form. The man was still in shock having received his first major wound ever. "I'll have you killed for this!"

Naruto's grip around the girl tightened in anger but a whimper from Titta caused his hands to loosen, but his eyes remained cold as he surveyed them all.

"Try it."

Zion trembled as he frantically stood up. His body shook as adrenalin coursed throughout his veins, which did little to ease his nerves. For the first time in his life the noble felt fear. His men had served to keep danger away from him so he had never felt fear for his life. No one had ever come this close to him and actually leave a significant wound.

"I'll have your head for this! I-I'll burn this place to the ground!"

He ripped the knife embedded in his hand and threw it at the blond. Naruto didn't even move as the projectile got closer to him. He felt the wind around him swirl as a strong gale blew and knocked the knife away.

"Forward!"

A loud call was heard as a group of men could be seen entering the house. Leading them was a silver haired woman dressed in blue armor, the same woman that had provided Naruto with the distraction to escape. In her hand was a magical sword capable of manipulating wind.

Zion growled in anger and fear as an opposing group has somehow entered the mix. He gave Naruto one last glare as he ordered his own troops to retreat promising to kill the man.

The invading troops quickly left while Naruto watched them go with a fierce look in his eye. He would have taken them out and not given them the option of retreat but the girl in his arms wouldn't allow him. Her quivering form gripped his shirt tightly as tears leaked out from her shut eyes. He looked at the young maid with a look of sadness as he tried to comfort her.

"It's alright now Titta, you can open your eyes now." The girl just buried her head further into his arms and shook her head. The tears were freely streaming now soaking his shirt but he cared very little about that. "I promise you it's alright now."

The girl was hesitant and looked to be in conflict with herself. The soft sobbing noise coming from her started to lessen as she tentatively opened her eyes. The blurry image of a gentle smile was the first thing she saw. Her tear stricken eyes made it hard to see clearly.

"Lord Tigre?"

Naruto shook his head gently.

"Naruto?" Titta rubbed her eyes as the blurry image cleared up as Naruto's gentle smiling face filled her vision.

"You're alright now."

She stared at him in silence as a mixture of emotions passed across her face. She buried her head into the crook of his arms as the tears once again ran down her cheeks.

"I was so scared."

"Yeah, I know."

He just held on to the weeping girl as he rubbed her back to comfort her from her traumatic ordeal. He allowed her to cry as much as she wanted with only the comfort of his presence to help her out.

"I told you that you have nothing to be afraid of. So you don't ever have to feel scared like that again. I won't let anything happen to my friends."

"I'm sorry I doubted you." She said with tears in her eyes.

He just patted the girl on the head in comfort. He caught the sight of silver as the young girl that had come to the rescue for the second time that day came into view. She regarded him with a quizzing look while he just stared back with an unreadable expression on his face. He didn't know who they were but since they had yet to make a move against him he was willing to hear her out. Taking his hands off Titta's head he circled her behind him.

"Who are you?"

"I am Eleanora Viltaria, Lord of Leitmeritz."

The title meant little to Naruto since he wasn't familiar with the nations around Brune but Titta was and the introduction made her gasp.

"You are from Zhcted!" It sounded more like an accusation than a question. "What are you doing here?"

"We've come to invade Alsace." The grin on Ellen's face didn't exactly match up with her statement but none the less both of them stiffened at her words.

"I see, so that makes you my enemy."

Ellen just raised an elegant eyebrow at the young man's words. She could see that he was exhausted and riddled with injuries. It didn't come from the fight that happened in the town square since she had witness him defeat those soldiers pretty easily so it must have been old wounds.

"You don't look like you're in any position to defend yourself let alone a defenseless maid."

"We'll have to see about that won't we?" Naruto wasn't naïve to think that this would be an easy fight. He could tell that the girl held a lot of power and in his current state it would be hard to fight her off. That's not even including the rest of her men. He reached for a kunai knife from his holster and held it in a reverse rip.

Ellen didn't say anything or make a move. She just held eye contact with him as a gale of wind blew around them. The wind swirled around the sword on her side as her heart beat quickened. Her chest felt tight as a feeling she had never felt before washed over her. Finally she cracked a smile and uttered words that left Titta and Naruto stunned.

"I see, I think this feeling is what they call love."

Naruto would have dropped the knife in his hand from the shock but he just managed to compose himself. It took a few seconds for his mind to reboot, allowing him to respond.

"Huh?" It wasn't exactly what he wanted to say but his mouth was working faster than his brain. "What are you talking about lady!?"

Ellen just smiled coyly and unsheathed her sword. Raising the blade she held it up and pointed it at him.

"You shall be my 'Prisoner of War'"

Naruto was floored once again not quite familiar with the term. He scratched the back of his head with the ring of his kunai.

"You're speaking gibberish to me lady. I have no idea what you're talking about."

"You will be mine!"

 **Authors Note:**

 **Well for the time being this will be my focus. It's the first crossover between these two so I guess the sky's the limit for this one. I'm very excited to start this since I have a lot of free time for the coming months. I'm trying to hit at least the ten thousand mark on my word counts for each chapter so don't expect too much too soon. Anyways I hope you all enjoy it!**

 **And please leave me a long Review!**


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or Madan no Ou to Vanadis.

The silence between them was starting to become deafening. Naruto was at a loss for words from the declaration that the girl had made. Truthfully he had no idea what she was talking about but he had a vague idea on what a 'Prisoner of war' meant. There were only so many definitions you could come up with when you put those two words together. Clearing his throat Naruto spoke in a strong, yet regal, tone.

"What the hell are you talking about you crazy lady!" Like he said regal, yet smooth. "I may not know any of your fancy terms but I'm pretty sure when you put the words 'prisoner' and 'war' together then it just becomes a phrase that makes me want to be the exact opposite!"

Not that the two words themselves were any good by themselves but that was beside the point. He glared at the girl trying to understand what her end game was but he had to be honest with himself, he was at a big disadvantage.

Almost as if fate was mocking him Ellen's men returned with Bertrand in hand. The fact that he had Titta behind him made it tough, but doable in an escape scenario, now with Bertrand in their possession then that idea just went out the door.

"Bertrand!" Titta cried out.

"Old man, couldn't you have let the other guys capture you instead?"

Bertrand glared at him with while Naruto just held the bridge of his nose in exasperation.

"You goddamn brat, that's not the reaction you should have in this scenario!"

Naruto just waved him off causing the man to thrash wildly. The soldiers holding him held on tightly but a look of unease formed on their face as they watched the interaction between the two.

"Still you make my job a lot tougher now." Naruto gripped the knife in his hand tightly and masked his face.

Bertrand nodded solemnly as his eyes landed on the Zhcted commander.

Ellen just grinned at the rapport the two had. She found it amusing to see the young man act so casually even at the face of such odds. A surge of emotions panged inside her chest once again as a gale of wind blew around them almost as if a manifestation of the swirling feelings she was experiencing.

"Oh did you think that you could have escaped if it was just you and the maid?"

"Of course I did." Naruto grinned back with confidence, to match her own.

"And how would you have done that?"

Naruto just smiled cockily and held his hands in a familiar hand seal. A soft pop emitted from his sides as a couple of clones formed wearing the same shit eating grin.

"Like this."

Ellen gave the copies a curious look. She wasn't familiar with a technique that allowed someone to make copies of them. It certainly would have provided enough of a distraction to allow him and the girl to escape but having the old man in their possession probably changed his mindset from escape to rescue.

"This is definitely love." Even though she muttered it under her breath Naruto was able to pick up on it causing him to turn red to the ears.

"W-what the hell are you saying in the middle of a fight!?"

"So what are you going to do now?" She completely ignored his question. "Even with your cloning technique I doubt that you could rescue this man and escape. That's not even counting the Brune army waiting outside of this town."

Naruto took a deep breath and calmed himself. As flustered as he was he understood his position, even if he could save both Titta and Bertrand that doesn't help with defending the town itself. The two have showed that they were willing to put their life on the line to protect the place and he didn't think that their feelings were going to change anytime soon.

"I'll comply with your demands but I have a condition."

Ellen raised an eyebrow at his words and beckoned him to continue.

"I'll only agree if you protect Alsace—"

"I was going to do that anyways."

"And you leave once we're done with Thenardier."

A frown marred Ellen's pretty face. She had no problem defending Alsace since it was her mission to acquire the land intact but leaving would go against her orders. Had it been anyone else she probably wouldn't even be thinking about this.

"You have you first term but you're in no position to ask for the second."

Naruto just looked her in the eye and answered.

"I'm valuable enough to warrant a second condition."

There was a challenging look in his eye that made Ellen want to poke the bear. It was defiant and confident and it only made her want to see what else he had in store for them.

"Oh yeah? Then prove it!"

She only managed to catch the smirk on his face before a breeze blew by her. Standing behind her was Naruto with a knife pointed at her neck. It was pressed against her and she could feel the sharpness of the blade. Just one twitch of his hand and it would slice open her jugular.

"Is this enough proof for you?"

His breath caught her ear showing just how close he was to her. She grinned at the performance but didn't let the threat scare her.

"It was pretty good but I think this only proves that anything you can do I can do as well."

Naruto glanced down and found that Ellen was hold her sword and it was placed right at his side. He had to admit he never even saw her move.

"Which proves that you get someone of your standing in return."

Ellen couldn't help herself and started to giggle. Even with the knife so close to her she couldn't help but feel anything but fear.

"You're right so I'll humor you and abide by your terms."

Naruto blinked at her words not completely understanding what she just said."

"So just like that?"

Ellen just giggled once again at his stupefied reaction. It gave her just enough time to turn away from the knife aimed at her and get into his personal space. She had Arifar aimed at his neck before he could even gain his bearings.

"Yes, just like that."

Naruto audibly gulped as she pulled the sword away from him with a wide grin. He didn't know if the sudden feeling of dread came from the fact that he was inches away from death or the fact that he had pretty much just signed away his freedom to the most confusing girl he had ever met. Either ways he just knew granny Tsunade was not going to be happy with him.

* * *

Zion stumbled into base camp tripping over himself in his own haste. He clutched his hand in a mixture of anger and pain. It was still freely bleeding but the humiliation he suffered from that blond haired nobody was worst. Pain and humiliation were the only things in his mind. He would burn the whole place to the ground if that's what it took to crush that man.

He took the cup that was offered to him and downed its contents. The taste of bitter alcohol was wonderful in helping to numb the pain throbbing in his hand but that wasn't his concern at the moment. His crazed eyes overlooked the room filled with military leaders under his command.

"We destroy this backwater town. We do it fast and we do it now."

There was a mixture of apprehension by the war council as they stared at each other trying to see who would speak up. The whole objective of their march to Alsace wasn't to lay it to waste but to gain a foothold in the northern region of Brune. While the people themselves didn't help with man power the strategic geography around the prosperous town would go a long way in their lord's long term goal.

"Lord Zion, please reconsider. Alsace is much better intact than in ruins. Your father—"

"My father has given me full control of this army. My word is his word." Zion dared anyone else to speak out. He was the General of this army and his word is law. "Now we have an unknown force within the town walls. While they are a smaller contingency there is a man amongst them capable of fighting off the men I brought in with me."

The military leaders muttered amongst themselves. Zion had brought in about 200 men with him, leaving their army at a standing force of 1800. For a man capable of defeating almost 200 trained soldiers spoke strength akin to some of the most prominent powers in the continent.

"This could pose as a problem but not necessarily all that important in the grand scheme of the battle." One of the leaders said which was met with agreements from the others. They held the man power advantage and in open warfare one man wasn't going to pose as much of a challenge compared to fighting in an enclosed space. "Scouts have found troops circling around us and will be at our backs soon enough. We must focus on them before we deal with the smaller company. Their numbers are close to a thousand men but even then we have close to a 2 to 1 advantage."

Zion nodded along as an attendant worked on cleaning his wound. He saw the merit in dealing with the bigger power before settling things with those inside Alsace's walls. He understood the plan but he wasn't one for patience.

"We attack both fronts at the same time."

This time the warriors clamored in protest. While they were willing to follow the boy in his decision to destroy the town, as opposed to conquering it, but to go with a strategy that would thin them out was out of the question.

"This is my decision and it is final. We will only need but a fraction of our force to defeat the ones in Alsace while the majority of our men will handle our backs."

"But Lord Zion you said that there is a man in their forces capable of fighting 200 of our men, and win!"

Zion held his hands up as the leaders still protested. A victorious smirk formed on his lips as he spoke his intentions.

"It is true that their camp holds a beast but our own army has a pair of beasts ourselves."

Looks of comprehension appeared on the faces of the military leaders. They could see the logic in fighting a monster with a monster and it wouldn't even cost them much of their men. With that they could finish this battle quickly and preserve strength. Murmurs of agreement rang throughout the room as the military leaders backed the plan.

A smirk formed on Zion's lips as his men unanimously agreed to his plan. He will destroy that man with his power and feed him to the dragons. It will be simple and he will be the one to lead the charge in bringing down the town.

He waved off the attendant wrapping his hand in bandages and stood up. "I want our men ready at a moment notice. I need this to be done as soon as possible. When the men are ready we make our move."

* * *

Naruto fidgeted in his seat feeling awkward as he listened in on the strategy meeting the others were having. Along with Ellen was, one of her top ranking officer, Rurick. He was apparently one of the best shot in her army and one of her most loyal men. He had long dark hair and pretty boy looks that made him look smart and imposing but the truth was that looks didn't always reflect a person's true character.

"Our men have already showed that we are superior to Brune forces time and again. Even with the advantage they have in man power they don't stand a chance. The battle of Dinant only proves that. We don't need to over think this. We should just attack them head on and finish them off."

In short, he was a complete idiot. Even worst is that he holds Zhcted in such high view that he regards any other nation to be inferior. Or maybe he just held a really low opinion of Brune and her citizens.

"Are you even listening to what you're saying? Attacking a force with greater man power head on will only lead to death!" Bertrand said with a glare. "We have the mountains on our side and the forest at our back. What we should do is…"

Naruto just stared out into space completely drowning their words out. He was never one to handle all these complicated planning. He was more of a hit them hard and hit them fast type of guy. Then get the hell out of the way when they start spewing burning balls of flame at you. It's pretty much been his main strategy since the start of his ninja career…

He listened in on the discussion but the arguing just went in one ear and out the other. His gaze fell on the silver haired girl that commanded the force set up in Alsace. Even as they discussed battle plans there was a grin plastered on her face that never seemed to leave. It actually unnerved him at how cheerful she looked at all times but that feeling was only second to the curiosity he felt towards her.

Her words had surprised him when they had first met. Then again being confessed to during such a situation would unbalance anyone but the cincher had been the fact that she wanted to 'own' him. On one hand he was actually flattered, not that he could blame her for wanting a piece of Uzumaki Naruto, but at the same time no one _owns_ him. Just as his name implies he was an untamable maelstrom. No one could just keep him for themselves. He was to be shared for everyone to enjoy, at least that's how he saw it.

His thoughts must have shown through his face because Ellen was looking at him with her head tilted as if asking him what was going through his mind. With as much maturity as he could muster he returned the look by politely pulling down his eyelid and sticking his tongue out at her. He still hadn't completely forgiven her for that 'Prisoner of war' thing just yet.

Not one to be outdone Ellen returned the gesture, with equal maturity, causing him to snort in an attempt to stifle a laugh. The gesture caused the other two occupants on the table to look his way with clear annoyance. He just gave them an innocent look which, in his opinion, they would have bought, had it not been for Ellen's giggling.

"Can you at least take this seriously brat?"

"As expected of some shady looking character, why are you even here?"

Naruto just glared at Ellen and gave her a look that said that this is all entirely your fault. The girl just returned the same innocent look he had given the others but the slight twitch on the corner of her mouth did little to hide her true colors.

"Hold on, don't get mad at me just because you can't agree on a plan! Besides I'm not the thinking type. Just tell me what to smash and I'll bring you back what remains."

"So you're the brutish type, again I repeat why are you here?"

For some reason the pitying look Rurick was giving him pissed him off.

"I apologize for his lack of a brain."

"Hey don't go apologizing for me! I have a brain you know."

Bertrand just patted him on the shoulder with a sorrowful look.

"Don't give me that look of pity!"

Naruto's eyebrow started to twitch in annoyance as the two ganged up on him. His hand started to reach for his utility pouch for something to stab them with but the smell of fresh made soft rolls teased his senses as Titta entered with a plate of food.

His anger was doused at the sight, and smell, of the bread that Naruto was quickly associating as Titta's specialty. He quickly grabbed a couple, one for each hand, as soon as she put the plate on the table. She glowed with pride as he happily munched on the warm rolls.

"So food is a good way to distract him." Ellen mumbled under her breath, Titta who was near her heard and gave the girl a mistrusting look. Even though they agreed to work together doesn't mean that she trusted the silver haired girl just yet.

"Naruto, what's your favorite food?"

"What, oh um my favorite food's ramen."

Naruto answered absently while Ellen had a thoughtful look on her face and filed the piece of information into the back of her head.

"I personally prefer meat as opposed to noodles and broth."

Naruto paused mid-bite and gave the girl a wide eyed look. Did she really just say what he thinks she just said?

"Please tell me you're joking?"

The wild eyed look he was giving her unnerved Ellen a little bit but she nodded to confirm her words nonetheless. Naruto put down the rolls in his hands and lowered his head causing his hair to cover his eyes. He said nothing causing an awkwardness to hang in the air as the others looked at each other in an attempt to figure out what could have offended the blond.

"U-Um, Naruto-san are you oka—"

"HOW COULD YOU!?"

Titta physically jumped due to his voice while Ellen just tilted her head in a confused manner. It was actually pretty impressive that the girl didn't show any surprise, even with his loud shouting directed at her.

"How could you even compare ramen with any other type of food? Ramen is the food of the gods, how could you spout such nonsense!?"

"I like ramen but they don't fill me up like meat."

Naruto gaped at the response and actually had to restrain himself from going on a tangent.

"Plus they're not very healthy for you."

"You've done it now lady!" He couldn't restrain himself anymore. "When we are done here I'm going to show you the wonder that is ramen. There's definitely something wrong with your taste buds is you could say such blasphemy about ramen."

Ellen gave him an amused smile that did little to calm him down.

"You sure do get defensive when it comes to food."

"Of course I do! And it's not just any food, its ramen!"

"Yes, yes ramen. But you better hold your end of the bargain and show me just how good ramen is later!"

There was a mischievous look in her eye but Naruto was too heated to see it.

"I said I would, didn't I! Uzumaki Naruto never goes back on his word dattebayo!"

Naruto quickly covered his mouth as an awkward silence filled the room. Ellen mouthed his verbal tick silently with an entertained look on her face causing his face to heat up. Damn he thought he had managed to cure himself of that.

"W-Whatever, weren't we talking about how we're going to deal with that bastard?"

It was a feeble attempt at changing the topic but the others played along, much to his relief. The others once again returned to their original discussion with Titta hanging around like she wanted to say something.

"Is there something wrong Titta?"

Titta drew back as if startled.

"Um what makes you say that?"

"I dunno," he said shrugging. "You just have a look on your face like you have something on your mind."

"D-Do I really? I'm sorry."

"Ah no it's okay you don't have anything to be sorry for. I was just making sure you were okay." He quickly corrected himself hoping he didn't say something insensitive. She didn't seem like the kind of girl that was quick to anger but he had built up a slight fear of the other gender when they had that look on their face.

"Can I ask you a question Naruto-san?"

"Y-Yeah, go ahead."

"Why did you give yourself up? From what Eleanora-san was saying you could have easily gotten away and saved yourself." The look on her face was scrunched up in conflicted manner like she couldn't wrap her head around the idea.

"Well I couldn't have left my friends behind." He paused and crossed his arms. "Actually a friend and Bertrand."

"You consider us friends?" She looked surprised almost as if she hadn't expected that answer.

"Yeah you patched me up when you didn't even know anything about me. Plus you fed me those awesome rolls of yours, which pretty much sealed the deal for you."

"…So we're friends because I can cook?"

"What, no that's not what I meant!" He frantically waved his arms to deny it. "It's that too, but mostly because you were kind enough to help me out when you didn't have to. If you were willing to do that for some random stranger then you're the kind of person I would want as a friend."

Titta smiled slightly allowing Naruto to breathe out in relief. He didn't want to test just how lenient Titta's patience was. He had enough women willing to clobber him for lesser comments than what he had just blurted out.

"That doesn't really answer the question for me though."

Naruto closed his eyes in concentration to try and find a way to convey his words in a manner the girl could understand.

"I don't think you really need to think too much on it. It's simple really, the reason I like you is similar to how I view my friends. If there's something I can do for them, then I would." Naruto just grinned with squinted eyes and placed the palm of his hand on top of her head as he drew his face closer to catch her eye. "That means staying behind even if I could have saved myself because I'd rather face impossible odds, together with my friends, than run knowing I could have done something."

"We'll when you put it like that." Titta felt her blood slowly rise up to her face as Naruto spoke. She looked down in a demure manner but the hint of a smile could be seen from the way the corner of her mouth curved. Naruto chuckled awkwardly and scratched his cheek feeling like he had just said something really embarrassing for some reason.

"You should go die."

"I really hate kids these days."

Rurick and Bertrand said in dull tones causing both Naruto and Titta to jump in surprise.

"We have important things to discuss brat. Can't your attention span last long enough to at least make it seem like you're paying attention."

"I hate you so much."

"Shut up old man! I told you I don't do things like these." He bit back completely ignoring Rurick's envious glare. "Do we really have to discuss this? From what I can see we have three options."

"Oh, and what are these three options?"

"Well I guess the first option we have would be to go straight at them, like this idiot said, and hope that we have the bigger stick." Rurick squawked in anger at the comment but was mostly ignored. "I like our odds with this one but only if Eleanora can keep up with me, but at the same time we could take heavy losses with this plan."

"Is that even a question? Of course Eleanora-sama can keep up with a brute like you! The real question is whether or not _you_ can keep up. She holds more power than you could ever imagine."

Naruto just gave the man an annoyed look.

"That's not what I meant. I'm not questioning how powerful she is, and I doubt that. I have a pretty good imagination."

"Then what did you mean Naruto?"

Naruto hesitated for a moment thinking she might take it the wrong way but the smile on her face assured him that she didn't think that he meant anything by it.

"What I mean is that as powerful as you are, I don't think you could keep fighting for more than a few hours, nonstop, in the front lines. I know for a fact that I can do that and still have enough energy to run laps around this town. Can you say the same?"

Ellen thought it over before shaking her head in denial.

"Exactly, we're out numbered enough as it is so you'd have to expect a drawn out fight if we were to attack head on. This puts us at an even more disadvantage because you need manpower to keep a long campaign going."

"Those are fair points but you said three options. What are the other two?"

"The second option would be to hole ourselves up in here and wait for them to make the first move."

"That's not a good option. This town isn't made to fight off a siege and that would leave the rest of my troops outside of Alsace to be slaughtered."

Naruto nodded with a contemplating expression.

"Well then we go with the third option and give them what they want. They want Alsace, so we give them Alsace."

There was a stunned silence before both Alsace residents spoke up in outcry. Naruto held his hand up in peace to try and calm them down so he could explain himself.

"I guess it's my fault for not explaining properly. I don't mean _just_ give them the town. What I mean is that we draw them within the town walls by letting them think we're retreating and then close the door on then. The only other way out is through the Eastern walls where you guys entered from. We can have our troops exit through there and then close the doors leaving the trailing army stuck inside."

"I see so you want to divide and conquer," Ellen said giving him a surprised look. "We can also rig the town with traps, which will make the job even easier."

"Exactly! It'll even things up for us outside even more and with limited casualties."

"This could work." Bertrand muttered stroking his burly beard. "If we do this then we would need to have any able hand to work on setting up traps."

Naruto just grinned and formed a familiar hand sign. A single clone appeared in a soft pop matching his grin.

"Don't worry about that we have it covered."

Ellen blinked before she started to giggle. "I thought you said you were the direct type?"

"I am," Naruto replied tilting his head. "It's just easier to hit them when they don't expect it."

"That's called planning you dolt!"

"Is it?" Naruto said with a shrug causing Rurick to growl. "I just thought it was common sense. If you want real planning then you should see the kind of stunts my friend Shikimaru pulls out of his ass. Now those are real strategies."

"I can't tell if you're just an idiot or a moron."

"Those mean the same thing!"

"Oh, do they?" Rurick asked with mock surprise. "Well then I guess we have our answer."

"It takes an idiot to call another person one."

Naruto drew his face closer shaking a fist at him as the Zhcted soldier did the same.

"Are you calling me an idiot!?"

"Of course I am! Or are you just too stupid to know when you're being insulted."

Things would have escalated if it wasn't for Bertrand hitting both of them over the top of their heads. He gave each of them a glare as Titta and Ellen giggled at the squabble.

"Enough, we have a lot of things to do. You two idiots can decide on who the bigger idiot is later, but right now we have work to do."

The two glared at each other one final time before relenting.

"Fine but I'm only doing this because it'd be a waste of time to try and convince an idiot that they're an idiot."

"What did you say you crazy blond!?"

Bertrand just sighed in despair. Why did he have to deal with this?

"Oh," Ellen exclaimed as if just remembering something. "We're going to have to send a messenger to Limlisha."

Naruto broke away from his argument with Rurick and tilted his head at the girl.

"Who's that?"

"She's my second in command and my closest friend," an impish smile formed on her lips. "She's also really fun to tease."

"Ehh, is that so?"

"Mhmm, with Thenardier's men so close by I don't think it'd be safe to send out a raven. The best solution would be to send one of our men to relay our plans to her."

"Eleanora-sama, please allow me to carry out this message!" Rurick said bowing his head.

"We need someone fast enough to get the message across but be able to slip by undetected."

The dark haired knight hung his head as his commander all but ignored his offer. She just eyed Naruto with a suggesting look that implicated that she obviously already had someone in mind.

"…Um, I guess I could do it."

"Great!" Ellen beamed causing a shiver to run down Naruto's back. Why did it feel like he was just being led around by this woman? "I'll write out a message for you to give to her so it'll just take a moment."

Ellen pulled out a piece of parchment along with a quill and ink. Where she had it hidden no one knew. The girl quickly jotted down the plans that they had discussed and signed the bottom. Placing the folded up note on his palms Naruto suddenly realized something.

"So how am I supposed to know what this Limlisha person looks like?"

"Oh you'll know it's her when you see her." The devilish look on the girls face didn't help with the sudden sense of trepidation he was feeling. It definitely didn't help when she held her hands away from her chest in a cupping motion. "She's hard to miss."

* * *

It was actually pretty simple getting around the force stationed outside of Alsace. While the men were camped out on the open plane, the area around it was mountainous and full of woodland. Even with scouts on the lookout around the area it wasn't at a level that he couldn't easily bypass. After all if he was able to sneak around in a ninja village then going around an army with the help of natural covering didn't make it much of a challenge.

He easily made it past Thenarier's men and made it across to where Eleanora's troops were stationed. They were maybe a couple of clicks away from where the Brune soldiers were located. There were no fires or anything that would give away their position but he had managed to track them down easily enough. After all even if they were hard to see due to the tree's hiding them it wasn't like it was that hard to find a group of almost a thousand men.

He was perched up on a tree branch that was high enough that normal eyesight wouldn't be able to tell that he was there. He surveyed the men and was pleasantly surprised to see that they were already armed and ready at a moment's notice. They weren't in any formal formation, just lounging around, but their equipment was always at an arm's length away and grouped in a way that suggested that they were within their cell.

Eleanora wasn't joking when she said that finding her second in command wouldn't be that hard. Out of the hundreds of men in the army there were only a few women. Most of them looked to be archers if the bows near them were any indication but there was a sole woman that was an exception.

She wore light blue armor that had a similar style to the one Rurick was wearing yet it had a sort of feminine style to it. Her long blonde hair was done in a side pony tail keeping it away from her eyes.

His eye started to twitch irritably as he finally got Eleanora's hidden innuendo. What was it about these women that he's met in his life having such big breasts? He really should have seen it coming. Having already gained the affection of the biggest bust in all of the Elemental Nation, and probably the world in his opinion, as a mother figure should have sent warning bells in his head about the type of women that he would come in contact with.

Sighing to himself, Naruto shook his head to rid himself of the thoughts in his mind and readied himself for his entrance. Bending his knees he launched himself from where he was stationed and propelled himself through the air courtesy of a chakra powered leap.

"YAHOOOO!"

In total hindsight surprising a bunch of men and women armed and ready for battle by dropping out of the sky probably wasn't one of the best ideas to pop into his head. Scratch that he didn't even really think about it, his body pretty much acted without his mind's permission. Crap, Ero-sennin might be right. He really should think things through before he moved.

As Naruto screamed out his arrival most of the men and women that had heard him were quick to ready their weapons. The archers were quick with their bow; they quickly notched up an arrow and shot at him without even thinking. Well at least he wasn't the only one.

"Ah don't shoot! Don't shoot me!" He had to twist and turn in midair to keep from becoming an arrow pincushion. A few had come pretty close to hitting him but he was nimble enough that the closest one to hitting him only managed to slice off a thin piece of hair. He silently prayed for the loss of hair and hoped it didn't mess up his fine mane of locks.

"Don't shoot I come in pea—" was about as far as he got before he was met with another flurry of arrows. "Let someone finish before you start shooting damn it!"

The blonde haired commander of the army narrowed her eyes into slits and raised her hand to keep the archers at bay. She unsheathed her sword and rushed him before he could even explain himself.

"How do I always get myself into these situations?"

He swayed back at an angle allowing the sword to swish right past him. The girl didn't let up though and followed up the strike with a kick. Unable to dodge the attack he braced himself with a guard. A loud crack was heard as the kick met his arms.

Limlisha's eye's widened as her kick was not only blocked by the mysterious assailant but he was also able to grab a hold of her.

"Okay, now that I have your attention will you at least listen to what I have to say before you try to chop my head off."

Limlisha swiped at him with her sword which made him drop her leg. She quickly made room between them and eyed her opponent warily.

"Stop doing that! I told you I come in peace."

Her eyes narrowed in distrust. "You never said that."

"That's because you didn't give me a chance!" Naruto dropped his arms in exasperation. "Look I'm going to reach into my pocket really slow and I'm going to take out a letter that will explain everything. Do you think you can let me do that before trying to kill me?"

Lim paused and considered her options before nodding her head in accordance. The young man slowly reached into his pocket and pulled out a folded up piece of parchment.

"Set it on the ground and slowly walk away."

The man just sighed in exaggeration but did as she said. She slowly walked towards the note and picked it up. She sent him one last glare before reading the contents of the note.

Naruto folded him arms impatiently as he waited for the blonde haired commander to finish reading the note from Eleanora. He was a little annoyed with the way he was greeted but then again the blame was mostly his fault. He settled for a sixty forty split on the blame which, in his opinion, still allowed him the right to be a little bit peeved.

"So you're working with Eleanora-sama." The girl finally said. She folded up the note and stuffed it between her cleavage. Naruto's eyes widened at the casual act as his gazed lingered a second longer than necessary at where the note had disappeared to.

"…Huh, um yeah, more like forced to but that's a polite way of saying it I guess."

Limlisha nodded and turned towards her men.

"Stand down he is a messenger from Eleanora-sama." He couldn't help but sweat drop at the sight of almost a thousand men armed and ready for battle. Maybe it really wasn't the best idea to surprise an army about to enter combat...

"Anyways my name is Uzumaki Naruto."

The girl just walked away but a few steps in she turned and glanced at him almost like a motion to follow her. He quickly caught up and fell into step with her.

"I am Limlisha, Eleanora-sama's second in command."

"Right, she told me about you." Naruto scratched his head and hesitated. "…She told me to give you a message but I'm not sure if I should even repeat it."

"If it is more important than the plans of attack written in the note that Eleanora-sama wrote then you should tell me posthaste."

"Well I mean I don't think it's important or even really relevant but she was really insistent that I tell you in person."

She stopped walking and turned around sharply to face him. "Tell me her message."

Naruto sweated at the closeness of her face. The glare she was giving him didn't help and only made him curse the fact that every girl he's met was at least aggressive to some degree.

"F-Fine, she said that when I meet you that you'll most likely be stiff and stressed. So she told me to tell you to relax or else they will grow bigger than they already are."

Naruto let out a sigh of relief when the girl finally moved her face away from him. He only had a split second to feel the relief before a sword was placed right by his neck. Sweat formed on his face as he quickly raised his hands in surrender.

"I told you I didn't think it was important. It was all her words okay!"

While he wasn't completely sure what exactly Eleanora's words were referring to, the red that peppered Limlisha's face told him that it was probably something he shouldn't have spoken about. He quietly cursed the silver haired woman in his mind for her subtle tricky nature.

It took a few seconds but Limlisha slowly lowered her sword. The glare, and the blush, remained but instead of making her look intimidating it only made her look more adorable.

Almost as if reading his mind the girl's hand twitched as if to raise her sword once again.

"Sorry, sorry!" He quickly apologized. "I'm just here to give out the messages. I'll be out of your way as soon as possible."

"We are to begin the operation as soon as the Brune's attack. From the way their men are moving I'm assuming we have an hour at most until the battle begins. You won't make it back in time to be of any help on that side." While she didn't particularly like this Naruto person she would have to relent that if he had caught her Lord's attention then he should be of some use. "It will be better for you to assist on this side."

"Oh don't worry about me making it back in time. I can be there in a few minutes if I wanted to."

The cocky smirk on his face didn't really make her believe his words. "And how are you going to do that?"

"Well you know I have my ways."

Lim propped an eyebrow and gestured to him to prove her wrong.

The smirk never left his face as he took a couple of steps back. "You know I think Eleanora was right. You really are cute when you're flustered, Lim."

In a swirl of leaves the young man disappeared from view as her face once again lit up in red. It took her a few moments to register that he had just completely disappeared leaving her angry and embarrassed. It didn't help that she couldn't vent on the source of her emotions. She didn't know what she was going to do but that Naruto was going to get it.

* * *

Zion divided his forces into three forces. Even with the man advantage fighting a two prong battle would thin out their ranks and weaken their position. In order to successfully fight off both sides he had elected to keep a central force between two sides of the fronts.

This middle force consisted of mostly bowmen and spear wielders. Consisting of 500 of what was left of his men. They would be the support for both fronts capable of switching between either side. Typically being sandwiched between two forces in an open plane would make the task of winning impossible but having enough men to equal, or exceed, both fronts and still have a support until made the battle much more winnable.

A mixed force of 1000 cavalry and infantry would front the greater force from their rear while another mixture of soldier will be tasked with defeating the much smaller squad stationed in Alsace.

Zion himself would lead the small force fighting in the Alsace front, despite protest from the council. He was riding on the winged dragon while his small force of 300 men was lined up front. While he rode the winged dragon the bronze colored Earth dragon was in the center of his force as his men gave it a wide berth in fear of being its next victim.

It wasn't like he was blind to the mistrust and doubt that many of the military leaders in the campaign had for him. He would be a fool to believe for a second that they held any loyalty for him. They were only following orders because of the loyalty that had for his father.

He could see it in their faces; they all believed him to be in over his head. This would be his first military campaign leading his own troops and the first step in showing his father that he is fit to be his heir. Alsace is but a small stepping stone to what his future will be.

He had every reason to believe that anything that those people could throw at his army they could repel. With the power of dragons with him, how could they lose?

* * *

Once Naruto made it back to Alsace he was quickly put to work on setting up traps within the town. With the help of some _**Kage Bushin**_ _**(Shadow Clones)**_ they were able to make some decent traps that would no doubt make it easier for them to weed out the bigger force. They received help from some of the villagers that had returned but it was mostly just material help as the abled warriors of Alsace were very few. With the time provided they were able to come up with a decent strategy and have it all be set up. Now all that was left to do was the battle itself.

"Do I really _have_ to ride this thing?"

There were a lot of amused looks from everyone while Naruto squirmed uncomfortably. The horse he was sitting on neighed in anger causing the ninja to quickly try and calm it down in fear of being bucked off.

"Woah, calm down horsey. There's no need to get temperamental now. I don't like this as much as you do." Naruto stroked the horse's neck with a nervous look on his face but horse continued to whine in anger. "Ehehe right, right. Sorry for calling you an it, so will you please calm down now? Please?"

While Naruto continued to try and appease the horse Ellen looked on in amusement. There has yet to be a dull moment since she had met Naruto. Even the simplest things, like riding a horse, turned interesting with him around. It was like he was a magnet for surprises and trouble.

"You're making the horse nervous because you're nervous Naruto."

Naruto's eyes shifted to her and gave her a pleading look.

"B-But Eleanora this thing is more likely to kick me off and trample me." The horse whined again and seemed to glare at him. "Right, right sorry I mean _he's_ likely to kick me off a—"

This time the horse really did try to buck him and would have succeeded if he wasn't holding on for dear life. Naruto gave her a knowing look that said see I told you it was going to do that.

"Naruto I think you're the one at fault here. Horses are very prideful creatures and I think _she_ took offence to being called a male."

Naruto blinked at her response and twisted his body from atop the horse to confirm its gender. He gave a humming noise and nodded his head.

"I see, I see. I guess it is my fault— gah! Wait, why did you give me a female horse! Why can't I get a stallion like yours?" This time the horse nearly succeeded in kicking him off and whined in approval when his head knocked against her broad neck.

"Ah! Did you see that? It actually tried to kill me! This horse is trying to kill me!"

"Naruto you were the one that said not to get you a big horse." She said trying to hide her giggling, which she did a very poor job of. "And besides this girl right here is more than capable of riding just as well as any horse in our rank."

The horse seemed to swell in pride but Naruto just gave her a dry look trying to ignore the creature's boasting. Can horses even boast?

"I'm pretty sure I told you _not_ to get me a horse at all. Do you hear the emphasis I put in the word 'not' when I say that?"

"Oh? Did you? I don't seem to recall this ever happening."

"Yes I did! It happened just ten minutes ago! You even nodded and said 'I see well if that is your preference' confirming that you heard what I said." He did a poor job imitating her voice but the girl just seemed to find the whole rant funny. "I can't go around doing awesome ninja things if I'm stuck on this thing. Come on Eleanora I'm more valuable on foot, I don't need a horse."

"I can see your point." She said holding her chin in a thinking pose. He actually thought she looked kind of cute that way when she was thinking hard on something. "I'll let you off the hook if you do something for me."

For some reason he didn't find that wicked smile on her lips as cute though. He suppressed the urge to shudder like he had just uncovered a different side to this mysterious girl.

"Ah well I mean if it's something I can do then I guess, okay?"

"Don't worry it's nothing big I just want you to stop calling me Eleanora."

"…That's it?"

"That's it." She said with a bright smile on her face. He was actually thinking that she was going to make him do something more. What exactly more entails was pretty much in the air.

"Huh, well I mean I guess I can do that but then what should I call you?"

"Ellen, my friends call me Ellen."

"Ellen," Naruto chuckled actually liking the sound of her name coming out of his mouth. "I like it, it's a lot easier to say than Eleanora and it sounds less girly. It suits you."

"…Do you think I'm feminine enough?"

The sad expression on her face caught him off guard. He had a tendency to speak before he thinks and the look on her face was so uncharacteristic of her that it actually made him feel pretty bad.

"No I think you're the right amount. I just think that Ellen suits you more because when I think of the name Eleanora I think of some fancy-shmancy aristocrat or someone like that. It suits you more because I think there's more to you than just a pretty face." He turned his head away after saying the last part so she wouldn't see the faint blush forming on his cheeks. He felt bad for making her look that way but he had said some pretty embarrassing stuff to make up for it.

"Good I like the name Ellen too, and I agree I think it suits me much more than Eleanora."

The sudden change in mood caused him to falter once again. Did she just?

"Did you just...?"

"Now come on! We have a battle to attend to!" She kicked her steed into gear leading the charge. "Let's go men! For Zhcted!"

Cries of 'For Zhcted' echoed as the thunderous sounds of horses galloping filled his senses. He blinked unable to comprehend what just happened. The horse he was riding on whined as soldiers passed him by with wide smirks on their faces having caught glimpses of their conversation.

"I think she was just messing with me…" He mumbled to himself. He would have pondered it more but a slap to his back caused the thought to leave him.

"Let's go brat, we don't have time to daydream. We have ourselves a battle to win."

Naruto nodded at Bertrand's words and hopped off the horse. He handed the reigns over to the old man, who accepted it not quite understanding the actions behind it.

"Here you go. I know they say that two heads are better than one, I'm not sure it applies to horses though, but I don't need her. Oh look at that now you have two. Well she's all your!"

Naruto ran off on foot chasing after the cavalry with cries of 'wait for me' while Bertrand looked at the extra horse with a pissed off look.

"It definitely doesn't apply in this scenario Naruto!"

Naruto just cackled madly as he dashed away from the old man. He quickly caught up with Ellen at the front lines and soon encountered the opposing group.

"Ha, take this!"

He made quick work of the first group of soldiers that he encountered and vaulted over them with the grace of an Olympic gymnast. He continued his path, carving out a trail of incapacitated bodies that were quickly taken care of by the Zhcted soldiers.

There were fear in the eyes of Thenardier's men but they didn't hesitate when confronting him. They feared his strength but they weren't afraid to fight him because even though he had defeated everyone that came his way he had yet to kill a single person. It actually baffled many of the men on the field. They didn't know what to think of the mercy he was showing.

Ellen fought just as fiercely beside him, though she didn't show the same compassion for those she fought. She cut through their ranks like a knife through butter. She was as fierce and as graceful as the wind. She weaved through the soldiers with quick steps and weaved in to finish off the men Naruto downed without missing a single beat.

Even without knowing each other's full strength the two worked well enough that they were able to hold the opposing army to a stalemate. But even with their combined contribution they were still outnumbered by a pretty good amount. The two sides fought without giving an inch but eventually the advantage in man power for Thenardier's army started to come into effect and their force started to get pushed back.

"Hey Ellen," Naruto called out as he slipped around to his right to avoid a sword that would have likely eviscerated him. "When do you think we should start to fall back?"

Naruto felt the cracking of bone against his fist as his knuckles connected with the face of one of Thenardier's men. The battle had been a whole blur of blood and steel. It was unlike anything he had ever experienced before. The only battle he could think of on the same scale as this had been when the combined forces of Oto and Suna had invaded Konoha during the Chunin Exam. Even then he hadn't really been a big part of the main battle. He was too busy kicking Shukaku's crazy ass to really get a sense of what a large scale battle was like.

A bloodied man thrusted his spear at the girl in an attempt to put her down but Ellen managed to contort her body and return with a strike of her own, quickly killing the soldier. She gave him a glace before returning her attention back to the battle.

"It shouldn't be long now." While they had taken on some casualties she was proud of the way her men had fought. They had managed to fight the bigger force to a standstill for quite some time allowing the opposing army to fatigue. Eventually she gave the signal for the men to start falling back.

The plan was to have parts of her troops retreat to make it look like they were fleeing the battle. While the left and right side would retreat the main spear head of the group would continue to press. As most of the opposing army's men gives chase to the retreating forces, Ellen and Naruto's group would continue to push on until the retreating army made its way back. The chaser's would be left boxed within the walls of Alsace to contending with the traps they laid out. It should keep the force occupied long enough for them to make work of the army before them.

As her men started to fall back she was glad to see that a majority of the Brune soldiers followed suit with mocking looks on their faces.

"Ha, all you Zhcted men flee when things get rough!"

"Cowards all of them!"

Insults were thrown as Thenardier's men rushed to catch up with her men. Her troops were disciplined and didn't give rise to the insults. They did their jobs drawing away the force knowing they would get the last laugh.

"What I tell you. Am I a genius or am I a genius."

With the majority of both forces trickling into Alsace, Ellen and Naruto were given a little bit of time behind the front lines to catch their breath. Even though she was breathing hard from the few hours of fighting the self-proclaimed genius didn't even look the least bit winded.

"Yes of course you're very special." She replied back with a giggle, "maybe not in a genius sort of way but special none the less."

Naruto pouted at her words and would have continued the banter with her but a loud roar quickly put a stop to his words. His eyes shifted to the source causing them to go wide once he got a look at the creature.

"What the hell is that thing?"

A pair of massive beasts entered the field as the bronze colored one was up front attack their troops while the other one stayed back. There was someone riding the beast with wings laughing loudly as the monstrosity took down the soldiers brave enough to battle it.

"To think that they even believed they stood a chance. How laughable." Zion sneered from up top his dragon. The Earth dragon was easily decimating the remaining men on the Zhcted side and he didn't even have to intervene. "This was easier than I though."

Zion surveyed the field and felt that his victory was all but certain. Most of the opposing troops had fled like the cowards they were while the stragglers were being taken care of by his dragon. It would only be a matter of time until they won this farce of a war.

His eyes quickly caught sight of blond hair the same shade as the one that had injured his hand. He was easy to spot with his bright hair. A satisfied smirk formed on his lips. Looks like the fool managed to survive the conflict but his dragon will be his end.

Naruto stood wide eyed as he stared at the giant beast in front of him. While it wasn't as big as a summon boss it was easily the size of some of the larger summon animals. It stood on all fours and had a body of a reptile. Its massive legs were strong enough to crush humans in armor reducing those close enough to splatter in gore.

"Oh so they managed to tame a dragon."

Naruto blinked perplexed at the amused tone that Ellen was speaking in. It was almost like she found the whole idea of the beast as nothing more than a minor hindrance.

"That's a dragon?"

"Yes," she said with a nod of her head. "You've never seen one before?"

He shook his head no. "I've ridden a fifty five foot tall toad before, if that helps."

Ellen shook her head in amusement. "And you're surprised at something like a dragon. You're a very interesting person Naruto."

"Hey, toads I've seen before but dragons. Aren't they supposed to be in like…fairy tales?"

"They're very much real," she replied finding the conversation entertaining. "So I'll show you something special."

Naruto was quickly on guard. For some reason whenever Ellen surprised him with something it usually ended in a way that left him as a bundle of emotions.

"Fine but it better be something good."

"Oh it'll be something good."

She walked towards the bronze plated dragon in a calm manner. With the way the dragon had killed those that came near it the soldiers gave it a wide berth in fear of ending in splatters. Ellen ignored the danger and walked closer to it until it was only a few yards away.

The dragon roared in anger as she got closer. It stamped its feet on the ground causing minor tremors to rock the field. Ellen just smiled and raised her sword up in the air. A gust of wind started to blow as a stream of energy started to swirl around her sword. The dragon roared once again as the armor on his head closed up as if sensing the buildup of energy the tiny girl was generating.

Naruto could sense the power that Ellen was cultivating but he couldn't tell just what exactly the energy was. It didn't feel like chakra but it was just as powerful.

The wind was chaotic but it was being sucked into the sword causing it to swirl on its tip creating a spiraling ball of wind to form. It was beautiful, and it was breath taking. He had to agree with the girl and admit that what she was showing him truly was special.

" _Mow down, air and all._ _ **Ley Adimos! (Cleave the Wind)**_ _"_

The swirling wind on the tip of the sword rushed forward and engulfed the plate covered dragon. The wind thrashed it and easily picked the heavy beast into the air. The armor covering it did little to stop the torrent of gale from slicing the dragon up. Sharp and powerful, the attack sliced the beast in half leaving those that had never witnessed the move in awe.

Ellen lowered her sword and turned. She flashed him a bright smile as he looked on in amazement at the destruction she left behind. A large trench was created from where the wind blew through as the two halves of the dragon coated the ground with blood.

"I might have over done it a little."

Naruto blinked at her words before a grin formed on his lips. "Maybe a little but what was that?"

"That was my _**Veda (Dragonic arts)**_ I don't usually use it but with a beast like that dragon it's the perfect technique."

"Well you definitely showed me something good," he walked past her with his eyes staring straight into the rider on top of the other dragon. "Now it's my turn to show you something just as good."

Zion trembled as he watched the Earth dragon was split in half by some woman. He could still feel the torrent of wind that came from that sword. Once again fear shot up within him as the blond talked amicably with that monster.

"W-We're retreating!"

The squad leaders around him gave him a look of surprise as if they couldn't believe what they were hearing.

"But Zion-sama we're so close. Just a little bit more and this battle is ours."

"Are you all blind? That monster just split a dragon in half!" Zion was practically livid as he grabbed the reigns of the winged dragon he was riding on. "It doesn't matter. Do what you want. I can't let another dragon die here."

He pulled on the leash causing the massive beast to roar. It spread its wings and flew in the air leaving the rest of his troops stunned.

Naruto watched with a frown on his face as his target flew to the sky. Even with a chakra powered leap he wouldn't be able to catch up. A gust of wind started to swirl around him enveloping his form. There was a whisper in his mind that urged him to just leap. He frowned at the mysterious voice but shrugging his shoulders and gathered chakra to his legs. It wasn't exactly the first time that he listened to a voice in his head.

Ellen's gaze was drawn towards Arifar, her sword, as it began to pulse with energy. "Are you giving him your strength?" She asked in a low whisper.

He held out his hand and started to gather chakra into his palm. It was as if the air itself condensed into a tight little sphere and formed the orb. It looked beautiful like the chaotic wind itself tamed without losing it's ferocity.

Naruto uncoiled and propelled himself in the air. He could feel the wind rushing past him, hindering his velocity. He could feel the air dragging him down but all of a sudden the wind started to change course. It started to swirl around him as if it had a mind of its own. He could no longer feel the drag of the air current as he inched closer and closer to his target. It was like the wind itself was alive and was propelling him forward.

" _ **Futon: Rasengan!"**_

He made contact with the dragon engulfing it in a torrent of wind. Little cuts started appearing on the beast and its rider as it shredded both with ease. He didn't even hear the scream from his enemy as they were torn apart by the wild wind-blades. He was free falling in the air but for some reason he just knew that he would be alright. The voice in his head said so.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or Madan no Ou to Vanadis.

His eyes were droopy and heavy making it hard to keep them open so he could stay conscious. Considering there really wasn't much to do when traveling with a group of about one thousand men and women, that trusted him as much as he enjoyed the three minutes to make ramen, he was left to either stay within his space and watch as the scenery change or allow the drowsiness of the ride whisk him to sleep.

Obviously his choices were limited and the idea of sitting in one spot long enough for the scenery of trees to change into mountains wasn't really something he looked forward to. Using a vehicle to travel from one place to another was a luxury that he never really had since a ninja's main transportation were their own two legs, but sometimes it was nice to just take it easy.

The road from Alsace to the Zhcted capital of Silesia wasn't necessarily a long one but when you took into account the amount of people they had with them then the relatively short distance took a little longer to traverse.

A few days after the battle against Thenardier's army, Ellen was called back by her King after informing him of what had transpired. It came as no surprise to the girl that she would need to return and explain herself after the events and quickly made preparations to leave the small town.

Naruto had tried to sneak out during the bustle of men packing but whenever he got close enough to the walls to make a break for it a smiling Ellen would be there to greet him as if she had been waiting for him the whole time. After the third try he had just resigned to his fate and allowed the girl to drag him along to where ever it was they were headed.

Almost a week since he had woken to find himself in a completely new environment he had still yet to pinpoint where in the hell he actually was. Without the immediate danger of the people around him he was able to focus on his own objectives. In hushed whispers with Titta they had managed to get him a map of the continent without the knowledge of Ellen, so as to not alert her of his plans of leaving. Not that it did him any good.

Even after finding out where exactly he was in proportion to the land around him it didn't help since he still didn't know if the Elemental nations were North or South of the continent. Hell it could have been East or West for all he knew. Geography was never his strong suit and the people he had talked to weren't any help since none of them had even heard of the Elemental nations. He definitely didn't want to try asking Titta again. The sad smile she gave him whenever the topic of him leaving came about was more than enough for him to leave the subject alone when around her.

Frustrated and annoyed at the fact that he was essentially stuck didn't sit well with Naruto so he attempted to leave regardless of knowing the lay of the land. He didn't know what would happen but he decided to just deal with it when it comes up. After his three attempts, thwarted by Ellen's seemingly psychic ability to know just where and when he would sneak out, he had calmed down enough to realize that acting out on his frustrations would do him no good. If he really wanted to get back then he would need to find out more about the strange land he quite literally landed in.

It was still frustrating since he couldn't even remember how he even made it to Alsace. Neither Titta, nor Bertrand, were of any help since they only knew that he was grievously injured when Titta had found him. The whole mystery behind his sudden appearance in Alsace grated at his nerves almost as much as the feeling of helplessness he felt at the fact that he had no idea how to even begin to make his way back to Konoha.

His nerves combined with the looks of mistrust that Ellen's men gave him left him in a pretty bad mood for most of the trip to Siesta, and they were still a few days off! Of course not all of Ellen's men looked at him with distrust. After the battle for Alsace Rurick's attitude towards him had changed from antagonistic to one of reverence, he even went as far as shaving his head to make up for his earlier behavior. It was actually a little creepy for him to have the man treat him so nicely after the way they butted heads but he wasn't going to deny making new friends. After all most of his friends had, at one point, hated him or fought him. He was more than happy to mark the man off as another one of those people he had somehow befriended through violence.

Deep in thought Naruto never noticed the flaps of the carriage open. His eyes were closed in content peace as the figure drew closer to him. Cold metal pressed against his lips causing him to open his eyes, though reluctantly as the motion of the ride made his drowsy.

"Wha—"

He never got to ask the question as a sword was pushed into his mouth as soon as the words started to form. The taste of metal teased his tongue and found Limlisha standing over him with a sword in hand making it kind of hard to care about anything but his life.

Both of them stayed frozen in the same position as cold sweat formed around Naruto's brows. He knew that teasing the woman would bite him in the ass eventually but he didn't think that it would end with a sword literally shoved into his mouth. Out of all the ways to die and it had to be something like this.

"Um Limlisha-sama, what are you doing?" Of course with the sword shoved into his mouth it came out as nothing more than muffled sounds but somehow she was able to understand his words.

"I was told to wake you up."

He bustled at her aloof response, "This is not how you wake someone up!"

"…Your presence in wanted by Eleanora-sama."

He slowly removed the sword from his mouth keeping a wary eye planted on the woman. While he didn't think she meant any harm with her actions it was still such a bizarre way of getting someone's attention that he couldn't help but feel a little cautious.

"Who the heck decides to shove a sword in someone's mouth as a method to wake someone up? How do you even come up with something like that?"

She just gave him a blank stare.

"Ugh, never mind I don't even want to know." Naruto said in an exasperated manner, there were somethings just better left unknown. "Wait is this the same sword you use to kill people with?"

"Of course it is," she gave him a look like he was being stupid for even asking such a thing. "As a soldier I must always have my weapon near me at all times, especially when we are still on the road where danger is abundant."

"No, no that's not what I meant. I mean is that the same sword you use to stab and cut other people?"

The girl just nodded slowly as if not comprehending the difference. His face turned green at her answer.

"Gah! You _stab_ people with that thing!" He said clawing at his tongue. "You _kill_ with that thing and you still put it in my mouth! Do you have any idea how unsanitary that it."

"I don't see why you keep stating the obvious."

"You put it in my _mouth_." He said glaring.

"Yes, that is an obvious fact that doesn't need repeating." The frown on her face deepened as if _he_ was the one that didn't comprehend the situation. "Now please hurry. We've wasted enough time with your foolishness."

Naruto grumbled at the turnabout but begrudgingly followed the young woman. Why was he the one being told that he was being silly for finding the fact that a used sword was just shoved into his mouth? Why it was even shoved in his mouth in the first place is the real question that should be asked. Unknown to him a little smirk formed on Lim's lips before it disappeared.

"So what does Ellen want with me anyways?"

"I don't presume to know everything that goes on in Eleanora-sama's mind."

He just sighed irritably knowing that he wasn't going to get anywhere with her and elected to just keep his mouth shut and follow.

It was near sun down so the group had set up camp allowing the soldiers to rest. He had never really been part of a large group like this and he found that armies themselves probably only fought ten percent of the time while the last percentages were spent traveling and preparing. In conclusion when it came to a large group, travels tend to be slow and boring. No wonder ninja's had limited teams to a four man cell. If they grouped up and moved in this slow pace then they would be dead before they even made it to battle.

"Enter."

He entered the tent and found the inside was fairly Spartan containing a simple bunk and a table set. As soon as he entered Ellen looked up from the map she was looking over and a wide smile formed on her lips.

"Naruto, what can I help you with?"

"You were the one that sent for me, so shouldn't that question be directed at you." He replied back in a dry tone causing the young commander to laugh in mirth.

"I guess I did, didn't I?" She had that glint in her eyes, which he already picked up on even after only knowing her for such a short period of time that told him that she was getting a kick out of getting a reaction out of him "It's just been so long since I've seen you. I was starting to think that you were avoiding me."

"I wouldn't say I've been avoiding you…" He winced at the flimsy excuse. He was in fact avoiding her but for good reason. Her men had made it pretty clear that they only tolerated his presence because Ellen brought him with her. Being seen with her only seemed to increase that hostility. Plus he really needed to find a way back to Konoha!

"Regardless, we have a lot to discuss." The subtle shift in her demeanor didn't go unnoticed. While Ellen was typically easy going, it didn't mean that she wasn't a serious person when the situation called for it. "I can't have you trying to escape when we make it to the capital."

He blanched at being called out so bluntly. It wasn't like he was really trying to hide the fact that he didn't accept being a prisoner of war but to have his attempts so blatantly thrown in his face was another matter. There was a subtlety to the little cat and mouse game they were playing and she just had to go and ruin that.

"I-I haven—"

"Naruto this is for your own good." The look in her eye told him that she really meant it. There was no twinkle of mischief or even a hint of playfulness. "We are only a few days march to the capital and I can't have you threatening my authority. If you attempt to escape with the King and everyone watching us then even I won't be able to protect you."

"What makes you think that I need protection?"

"Maybe not you but Alsace would certainly need it." He stiffened at her words. "I was ordered to take Alsace in its weakened state. I cannot return having given it up without anything to show for it. I'm not asking for _your_ safety."

Naruto gritted his teeth but understood at the moment his hands were tied. He could only nod in acceptance but doing so felt like pulling out teeth. He needed to return to Konoha but he wasn't going to do it only to leave the people that had healed him to the wolves.

"For what it's worth I promise to keep my word," Ellen's voice softened and he knew that she truly meant it but at the same time he knew that her word was only golden as long as he didn't try to do anything.

"Was that all you needed?"

She flinched obviously sensing the coldness of his words but he couldn't find it in him to care. Ellen nodded and tried to place an apologetic hand on his shoulder but he had already turned away leaving her grasping for air.

He knew that she had her own objectives but the friendly rapport that they had made him forget that she wasn't necessarily on his side. Their coming together was both a forced and necessary alliance at the time. He should have expected that she meant to make sure that he kept his end of the deal. At the same time he just assumed that he would have been able to sneak out whenever he wanted but he didn't take into account that there were others involved, not just him.

* * *

Naruto didn't think that Ellen had told any of her soldiers to back off but for the last few days her men had steered clear of him. They avoided him and didn't mutter amongst themselves when he was seen. His bad mood had clearly been felt by everyone and that had made all the hostility lessen like they were afraid of the caged animal that he was.

He was just fine with that. He wasn't in the mood to deal with their distain. So the last few days of the trip back to the capital went by without any more incidents. He didn't see Ellen once during that time.

He knew that she didn't tell him all that stuff because she was a bad person. And that was probably the hardest part. If she had just been your everyday bad guy then it would have been easier. He could be upset with her without having to empathize with her.

He couldn't do that though because her hands were just as tied as his were. Just like he would need to follow the orders of his Hokage she would need to follow the orders of her King. She had already skirted around his orders when she made that deal with him but if she were to comeback empty handed then she would be in just as big a trouble as the people of Alsace would be.

Naruto understood that but he was also a stubborn bastard and it was hard to just accept the facts. For the moment all he could do was grit his teeth and meet with this so called 'King' of hers. He didn't know what he was going to say but damn it he was going to say _something_.

Silesia was unlike any place he had ever seen before. The buildings were built with a stone white concrete that added a sort of elegance to the whole town. He wanted to call it a city because of how big and imposing some of the structures within its walls were but really it was more of a town.

While the castle was bigger than the Hokage tower—it was pretty much the size of the Hokage Mountain— the whole town itself was barely half the size of Konohagakure. Still there was a liveliness to it that was similar but oh so different from Konoha.

As they marched through the streets people lined to the sides with young men and women pointing and cheering while mothers held back their kids in exasperation and fathers regaled to their children in pride. This was something that never happened in the ninja villages.

Ninja's were rarely admired so openly and never had there been crowds of people to cheer them on. They were talked about but they weren't really seen. If anything citizens talked about ninja's in mixtures of tension and resignation. They weren't people to cheer for because most often than not when ninja's were involved in conflict the people were dragged into it, willing or not.

While they did do some good around the community and around the nation they weren't hero's that worked for justice and peace. He was one of the few exceptions as his dreams of peace were a rarity that differed from everyday ninja's. Most were only in it for the money and necessity or a matter of family honor. It didn't start off that way for him as he only became a ninja for necessity and respect but along the way his dreams of peace and protection for his love ones became his driving force.

He was getting off topic but the point is ninja's did not get the recognition that Ellen's men and women did. People openly cheered for them and even tried to talk to them with clear admiration. He wasn't use to the treatment but he couldn't help but get caught up in the moment.

His bad mood that had followed his around like a personal rain cloud over his head seemed to clear up and he found himself grinning and waving back to the people. It was amazing how a little recognition could change a person's mood.

He heard the crowd on his side cheer even louder and found the reason was because of a certain silver haired girl bumping her hips against his. She grinned at him and waved to the people causing them roar in cheer.

He couldn't help himself and bumped her right back forgetting for the moment that he wasn't happy with her or that they had not spoken since that very day. The only thing that seemed to matter was the good vibes and the feeling of respect and admiration that he never had growing up. He might not necessarily be one of Ellen's men but at the moment he was a part of the reason why the people were cheering.

"Forgive me," he heard her say amidst the crowd. He looked to her a little shocked that she was asking for forgiveness but she continued to smile to the crowd never looking towards him. "I know I do not deserve it with what I had done. I made you a promise to keep Alsace safe and I wrapped that around your neck like a leash. I gave you my word and I intend to keep it but now I'll be the one to ask you for a favor." She finally looked at him and smiled only at him, it looked a little strained and some hints of guilt and weariness could be seen. Had she been worrying about what had happened this whole time? "I won't use my promise as a way to keep you in line but in turn I want you to also keep your word and please don't try anything."

His mouth opened to speak but stopped to think about his response, "You know they tell you to forgive and forget but you know what I say?" She looked at him questioningly, and a little hopeful. "I say forget about forgiving." He continued on even when she tried to interrupt. "I'll just accept that you did what you thought was best and I can understand that. I won't promise that I'll be you're 'prisoner of war' forever because no one keeps Uzumaki Naruto down for long! But I will promise not to do anything while we're here. So don't worry anymore."

She looked stunned before she truly smiled like a weight had just been lifted from her shoulder. Looking at her, Ellen looked like she hadn't been sleeping properly with minor bags under her eyes. It didn't look that sever but with her light complexion it was noticeable when you looked closely. He started to feel guilty that he was the cause for it, even if he was justified with his reaction, but the beaming smile he got from her conveyed that all were good.

He couldn't help it and smiled back just as brightly. He started to laugh causing her to laugh along with him. And throughout this they smiled and waved to the crowd, laughing like a couple of loons.

* * *

The atmosphere inside the castle was like a complete one eighty from the joyous celebration outside of its walls. While it was loud and rambunctious outside with the people cheering for the visiting troops it was quiet and solemn within the castle walls like a tense seriousness that he could only compare to the time he had really screwed up and Tsunade had threatened to suspend him.

Instead of Ellen's whole conglomerate of soldiers packed into the castle halls it was only him, Ellen, and Limlisha in attendance. Along with a line of heavily armored men along the sides of the room there were also men and women dressed impressively with expensive looking fabrics and intricate designs whispering among themselves like a bunch of gossiping house wives.

He caught a few of their words with him and the other two ladies as the main subject. Nothing too bad were thrown at the two girls as they seemed to be well respected amongst the people but there were a bit of speculations and outlandish ideas concerning him ranging from the absurd like he was a sex slave that Ellen had captured. Now that was just completely crazy—the sex part but the slave part was actually slight accurate— he wasn't some character that filled some weird sex plot that only Jiraya could come up with.

There were some, from what he could hear, that came pretty close to the mark thinking he was a prisoner of war. That still pissed him off though since Uzumaki Naruto was no one's prisoner of war dattebayo! He was just forced here against his will…

"Come forth, Eleonora Viltaria."

Ellen strode forward with her head held high. She gave him a reassuring glance as she passed him and stood before the King. She knelt down on one knee with her head bowed down.

There was pause of silence as no one made a noise and the King said nothing. Naruto wanted to fidget as the silence was starting to make him feel awkward but a sharp elbow from Limlisha told him that he was to be on his best behavior.

After what seemed like an eternity the King finally acknowledged Ellen. "Rise Lord of Leitmeritz," he said in a slow rumbling timber.

The man looked to be in his late years but his eyes held a certain glint to them that he had only seen in experienced old fogies like the late Sandaime. Despite the wrinkles, he had a certain regal face that bore his aristocratic heritage and a tightness about him that made his back stiffen straighter. He knew right away that this was a man that knew the ins and outs of the game.

Ellen slowly rose to her feet and only then did she finally made eye contact with the King. It was not only a sign of respect but her willing servitude to him. It made him realize all the more just how much he had put her between two hard choices.

"In respect to your loyalty we have not punished you for your disregard of our orders. We instead will allow you to explain yourself to us."

Naruto felt like he needed to defend Ellen's actions and was going to tell that King of hers just that but once again Limlisha caught him in the rib with an elbow causing him to shoot her an annoyed glare.

"Wha—"

"—Stay quiet and do not embarrassed Eleonora-sama any further." She whispered sharply before he could ask what her deal was.

He felt the coldness of her stare and realized that while most eyes were on Ellen and the King, he had garnered some looks from the surrounding people. He bit back whatever he wanted to say only because he didn't want to cause Ellen any more trouble.

"We want to know why you helped the town of Alsace instead of subjugating it."

"I apologize your highness," though she neither looked nor sounded apologetic. If that bothered the King, he didn't show it. "For I made judgement call and did not have the necessary time to relay my planned actions to you."

Murmurs within the crowd gained volume as Ellen's words were heard clearly. Ellen had apologized, true, but what she had apologized for was being unable to tell him in advance that she could not do as he says as opposed to actually the disregarding orders part. It was a more political way of saying that my improvising was the right move. Though how someone reacts to getting told that they were wrong tends to vary.

What surprised Naruto was that instead of blowing a gasket like most nobility the King actually cracked a ghost of a smile that disappeared just as quickly. He looked blank once again as if he was a slab of stone.

"With the Brune Prince presumed dead you were correct that Brune's borders would become weak and the town of Alsace would become defenseless. Moral was high due to our victory and the taking of Alsace would have been simple despite scouting indications of another army with our same line of thought."

Naruto listened intently as he wasn't aware of some of the details on Ellen and Zhcted's end. He only knew that his friends were in danger and that there were two armies trying to take over Alsace. Though he eventually allied with Ellen to save the town he didn't know the specifics of what had brought her there or all of the motives involved.

"Zion Thenardier's forces outnumbered our own two to one but even against those odds I was confident in our ability to win. While we were aware of Thenardier's march to Alsace he was blind in his belief that the town would be easy to take and did not scout the surrounding area. His arrogance proved to be his downfall as he was completely unaware of our presences until it was too late. With a small group, I chose to lead a small force to infiltrate the town and kill Zion Thenardier as a portion of his force and himself ransacked the town."

The memory of that time made Naruto clench his hand tightly. He was still kicking himself for letting that bastard even come close to laying his hands on Titta. The sweet girl was absolutely terrified and he felt responsible for not leaving at least a couple of clones to keep her safe.

"We met and disposed of almost half the men that were within the town quickly, and that was when my objective changed from the orders you gave me to the actions I had taken, all because of one man. My King may I present to you Uzumaki Naruto."

Naruto wanted so badly to facepalm at the way Ellen had introduced him. Without even any sort of background on him she had just announced that he was the whole reason for the debacle. He was at first surprised with her political savvy but that sort of misleading statement just made him doubt she actually knew what she was doing. If he didn't know that Ellen was a mostly straight forward, and slightly clueless, girl then he would have thought that she had deliberately thrown him to the wolves.

His exasperation only grew as he once again caught some of the mutterings around him that were not so subtly being done. It was too much for him.

"Oi Ellen couldn't you have phrased that a little better!" There was only so much patience in him, time and place be damned. He couldn't care less about manners and subtlety at the moment.

The girl tilted her head slightly, "Did I say something wrong?"

Face meet palm. An amused chuckle sounded beside him causing him to glare at the source. "Something funny?"

As soon as he turned to question her Limlisha stopped chuckling and quickly masked her face once again though a small tint of flush adorned her cheeks. "I do not know what you are talking about."

"Sure you don't," he muttered under his breath. "Why don't you continue with your report so all of these people," he glared at the crowd but that only seemed to ignite even more poorly disguised whispers. "Can finally stop it with their weird theories and hear what really happened."

Thankfully his blunt assessment of their ideas caused the gossiping to stop as Ellen turned to the King for permission. He gave her a small nod as she continued.

"As I had said we were able to defeat Thenardier's men but there was already a good portion of the force defeated when we arrived. Naruto had single handedly managed to thwart the raiders and seemed to be doing it with ease. We were forced to engage the remaining men and that allowed Naruto the distraction to slip from my view. After the brief scrimmage we made our way to the Vorn mansion where we would meet Naruto once again. We were only a few moments late as Thenardier managed to escape. At the time I was intrigued with Naruto and his abilities. He had single handedly defended Alsace and I believe would have done so even without our intervention. It was at that moment that I decided to make him my prisoner of war—"

"—Hey Uzumaki Naruto is no one's prisoner of war dattebayo!"

He drew an amused smile from Ellen but was mostly ignored. That caused him to grumble irritably still muttering that he wasn't a 'pansy-ass prisoner of war' under his breath.

"He proved to be much more though and managed to surprise even me. He managed to place me under knife point but I managed to equalize with my sword. We were caught in a stalemate so he cut a deal with me. Instead of both our mutual defeats and Thenardier taking the town by default he agreed to be under my care in return for the protection of Alsace and its people. That is the reason why I return not with a town subjugated but a man who is on the same level as the seven Vanadis."

Silence followed her bold claim. Many were too shocked to respond as Ellen dropped the bomb that Naruto was as capable as a war maiden. A Vanadis was equivalent to a whole army and to have gained someone on equal standing was hard to believe but if true would be far more valuable than a small town.

The people seemed to be split in opinion. Many couldn't fathom someone like him could be in the same league as one of the seven Vanadis but just as many saw the benefits of someone with that much potential and were willing to believe the Lord of Leitmeritz's word.

Though many opinions varied there was only one person's that truly mattered. The King had yet to say anything and looked contemplative. His face was a hard mask to read and Naruto couldn't tell what was going on in his head.

"Preposterous! Why should we trust the word of a woman who has already disobeyed orders?" Naruto looked around to try and find who had the courage to actually speak their opinion out loud in such a setting. He didn't have to search for long as a short girl with shockingly light blue hair came out of the crowd and stared Ellen down. Uncharacteristically Ellen returned the glare. "Just because one of the lesser Vanadis had been lacking in training and was caught unaware does not mean that this man could be considered our equal."

It wasn't so much the insult that Naruto picked up on but her usage of association. She was elegantly cute and not at all imposing but the way her word seemed to carry some weight made him think that maybe she was one of these so called war maidens. Just from her opulent looks he would have thought that she was one of those noble wallflowers but she had an iciness to her that bore depth than just what her appearances alone conveyed.

The interruption seemed to be the light to start the fire as people all over started to take sides. The order and manners that the people of the court once held was thrown in disarray as opposing opinions clashed against one another.

At the helm of one side was the blue haired girl that had challenged Ellen's words and on the other was Ellen herself who looked like she had some past history with the girl if the glare she was sending her was any indication. There seemed to be some animosity between the two girls and perhaps just general dislike but the two clearly held an ounce of respect for each other because while the people around them spoke out vocally the two girls said nothing just glaring at each other, waiting for the King to make his opinion known.

He couldn't help but chuckle at the chaos he had brought just by being him. Even the sharp elbow delivered by Limlisha didn't deter him as he looked around in glee. This would teach those idiots to call him a prisoner of war.

Almost as deafening as the noise level had gotten the silence that followed was just as loud when the King raised a palm. Even without having to say a word everyone stopped talking. Even without having to do anything but raise a hand, the chaos that had swirl around the room disappeared as the King finally spoke.

"We have heard you claim and have determined that the Lord of Leitmeritz was justified in her actions." The chaos would have started once again if not for the sharp eyes of the King bearing into everyone. The blue haired girl looked like she wanted to protest but just like everyone she was unable to with the weight of the King's eyes on her. "If the Vanadis of Leitmeritz claims to have found an equal then it certainly is a boon for our kingdom. But should she be wrong in her assessment then we shall act accordingly."

He could see Ellen smiling in relief but he wasn't so sure what she was so relived about. It kind of sounded like the King still hadn't let her off the hook just yet. If anything it kind of sounded like was going to test—

"Should Uzumaki Naruto prove to be everything the Lord of Leitmeritz claims him to be then this matter is unneeded."

He wanted so badly to groan at the Kings words. It seemed unfair that he was being tugged at all directions without his say so. He shot Ellen daggers with his eyes and reserved the tongue lashing he was going to give her for later.

"My King if I may, I would like to be the one to test the man." The girl with blue hair strode forward in determination. She looked happier with the decision. "If he meets the standard then I will retract me previous words."

The King nodded as if he had predicted that she would volunteer. It made him wonder if the man had calculated this sort of outcome or if he was just over estimating the man. Well whatever, it's not like it really matters.

Without even any need to say anything people started to leave, muttering amongst them, sensing the King's dismissal. Ellen walked to him with a wide smile as if she had just won a competition.

"That could have ended worst."

Naruto had to keep himself calm by taking a deep breath and, instead of yelling like he intended, said in a calm voice, "I hate you."

* * *

Naruto continued to stubbornly ignore Ellen despite her pleading to him to talk to her. He was being a little unfair but he didn't really care. He was going to be forced to do kami knows what just to 'prove' himself, whatever that even means.

He turned his head away from her defiantly with his arms crossed over his chest. Ellen pouted at the clear dismissal but didn't let it discourage her.

"Oh come on Naruto it's not that bad," she pleaded trying to get him to lighten up. He was a stubborn knucklehead so it wasn't working out too well. "At least we're not in trouble right?"

"Not in trouble!? What if they have me doing exams or something? I think you'll be singing a different tune if that were to happen."

Ellen laughed and thumped him in the back. "Glad you finally responded to me."

"Did you not hear a word I just said lady!"

She just continued to laugh boisterously as if she had all the confidence in the word. Limlisha sighed as her commander dismissed all possible failures. While she had every bit of confidence in her leader's decisions she had to agree slightly with the brute's point.

"Eleonora-sama perhaps there is semblance of truth to his worries. Even an idiot may speak the truth every now and then."

Naruto pouted, "Why do you have to be so mean to me Lim."

"Do not call me that!" She turned to him with such an icy glare that he would have frozen over if not for the slight flush on her cheeks.

"You don't have a problem with me calling you Lim, Lim." Ellen stated tilting her head to the side.

"Eleonora-sama not in public!"

Limlisha's face looked like it was about ready to burst. She actually looked really cute all embarrassed like that, he didn't know she was that easy to rile up. A grin spread on his lips that sent a foreboding shiver down Limlisha's spine.

Before Naruto could act upon this new found information the group was interrupted when the same girl that had called out Ellen in the hall showed up. Instantly Ellen's grin disappeared replaced by a challenging look.

The girl held a similar look as if she was just as ready to butt heads with her. If it were possible he would have probably seen sparks between the two with the way they were acting towards each other.

"My, my how unfortunate of me to run into such an unseemly person. Still as clueless as ever I see Eleonora Vitalia."

Ellen's frown deepened before smirking after she looked over the girl. "Oh my the same thought ran through my mind. I see you still have yet to grow since we last saw each other Ludmila Lourie."

As if to emphasize her point Ellen crossed her arms under her bust and looked down on her to accentuate the difference. He could practically hear the blue haired girl's teeth grinding but she covered it up real nicely.

She flicked her hair at Ellen as if her taunts were beneath her. "I see you have grown my dear Eleonora. Though it's to be expected that someone who lacks training would grow an excess amount of flab. Even in areas unwanted."

The smug look on Ellen's face slowly vanished as the shorter girl went below the belt, per say, and hit a woman where it truly hurt.

Naruto slowly backed away knowing that any woman called out on her weight was a ticking time bomb just waiting to explode. It didn't matter if he wasn't the cause, just by being within the area made him a potential target.

"What did you say you flat-chested—"

"Who are you calling flat-chested you cow—"

Almost in unison they turned to him with a glare as if he was the one that had been the one to call out their chest sizes. Cold sweat rained down his neck and knew that his chance to escape had gone out the proverbial window.

"Naruto I'm not fat am I!"

"You, tell this cow to have her eyes examined!"

He wanted nothing more than to run for the hills and get away from this hazardous situation. He was essentially being double teamed by two separate girls asking him no-win questions. There was absolutely no way out of this so he did the only thing he could and threw the attention on to someone else.

"I-I think Limlisha is more equipped to answer those questions."

Limlisha's eyes widened comically showing more emotion that he had ever seen on her face. He would have teased her for it if he wasn't in the situation he was in right now. He silently prayed for the woman's survival as he quickly made his escape before the attention could be thrown back at him.

He had promised Ellen that he wasn't going to try and escape but he was pretty certain that this was an exception that he could exploit. There was absolutely no way that he was going to get in between two girl—two magically power girls at that— and their argument about boobs and weight.

He was stubborn, and if totally honest not the sharpest knife in the pile, but he wasn't a total idiot. He had some semblance of self-preservation thank you very much.

* * *

Naruto skid to a halt causing a comical amount of dust to plume around him like he had just been running with the devil nipping at his heels. Well two she-devils to be exact.

He glanced around to determine where exactly he was as he hadn't been paying attention as to where he was going. He was too busy running away to save his fine behind to really care.

He was a good distance away from the castle and looked to be in some commercialized district. Shops lined the streets and shoppers glided around avoiding playing children and bartering with overzealous shopkeepers.

It reminded him of the busy streets of Konoha only without the silent eyes of ANBU watching over head or the way nature seemed to be a fixture in Konoha's streets. Everything seemed to be prim and proper. The buildings were all pristine white and the roads were paved. Though he couldn't decide which was more beautiful he did know that he preferred Konoha's earthy look more.

He wandered around the streets without a clear destination. He probably had a good couple of hours before he needed to return to the castle so Ellen didn't think he had skipped town on her. Maybe a couple of hours were cutting it a bit but he wanted to be doubly sure that he wasn't returning to a potential landmine.

He was just walking around aimlessly when he noticed a crowd growing in front of a stand. His curiosity got the better of him so he jostled through the crowd to see what was going on. Finally he managed to clear through the sea of people to see two men arguing and an angry looking shopkeeper between them.

He wasn't completely sure what was going on but from what he could tell someone had knocked over one of the plates the owner was selling and the two men were arguing over whose fault it was.

"You were the one that bumped into me you should be the one to pay for it!"

"What, it's your fault for standing too close!"

The two men butted heads but nothing was being resolved. The shopkeeper was starting to lose his patience and looked about ready to join in on the argument.

Being the meddling guy that he was, Naruto decided to intervene before things broke out into a fist fight. He walked towards them and placed a hand between the two arguing men.

They both turned sharply at him with matching glares. He just smiled brightly unintimidated by it. He had faced men much, _much_ scarier than the two combined.

"What seems to be the problem guys?"

The two seemed to find some comradery over him.

"Get lost kid this doesn't involve you."

"Yeah get out of here brat the adults are talking."

The smile on his face strained but remained intact. His calm hand on their shoulders tightened though, to a tight grip causing both men to wince in pain.

"Why don't we try that again and lets _all_ be adults here."

The shopkeeper seemingly had enough and answered for the two unwilling men. "These two broke one of my plates and both are blaming the other. Well I don't care who it was but someone has to pay for breaking it!"

"See was that so hard?" Naruto thumped both men in the back, hard, causing them to stumble.

"Whatever kid, what do you even want?"

"Now is that anyway to address the person that's going to solve this problem."

One of the men scowled. "What are you talking about?"

Naruto just grinned and pulled out a wad of cash from his pocket. "Hey old man is this enough to pay for the damages?"

All three men's eyes bulged out at the amount of money he took out. He didn't know exactly how much it was since he wasn't sure how the currency here worked but he figured it should have been enough.

"Y-Yes it's more than enough. In fact it's too much."

He just waved him off, "Don't worry about it take it. It's not even mine." He thumped both men once again and like last time they both stumbled. "See told you two I'd take care of it.

The owner gave him a confused look but didn't want to question someone that was willing to pay over the amount needed to cover the damages and just took the money.

"Thank you very much sir," he bowed gratefully before he turned on the two men that had been bickering with a glare. "Now please kindly leave my storefront. You have caused enough trouble for me and my business."

The two men were quick to leave glad that they both had gotten away without having to pay. Naruto chuckled because they'll find out later that they had in fact been the owner of the money he had given the shopkeeper. A simple sleight of hand and he was able to pickpocket them easily and return their wallets a little bit lighter because he 'borrowed' all the money from their wallets.

"I want to thank you again for everything sir."

He rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly, a little embarrassed by how sincere the man sounded. "Aw it wasn't a big deal old man."

"I disagree," a melodic voice said. Naruto turned to the person to see a beautiful lady with curled blonde hair and one of the biggest pair of knockers he had ever seen. He was talking about Tsunade size chests. "It was very admirable of you for stepping in like that."

Her voice knocked him out from his daydream and blushed for having been staring at her for a little bit too long. She didn't seem to have noticed though and giggled when he turned away thinking his embarrassment was due to her praise.

"Sofya-sama!" The shopkeeper exclaimed and quickly bowed. "What are you doing here, it's an honor ma'am."

The woman smiled politely, "I was just strolling by and noticed the commotion. I would have intervened myself but it seems I was beaten to the punch."

Naruto blushed even harder when she redirected her words to him. While he had been around stunningly beautiful and well-endowed women before there was just this calming aura around her that spoke of maturity and serenity that really threw him off balance.

"I didn't do anything special. Anyone would have done the same thing."

She giggled causing hypnotic things to happen to her chest. He struggled to keep his eyes planted on her face and thankfully he somehow managed. He may not have been _completely_ corrupted by Jiraya and Kakashi but he was by no mean pure after role models like them.

"Oh I don't think just anyone could do what you just did." She leaned in and eyed him mischievously as if knowing a secret. He struggled to not let his eyes wander down knowing she had innocently given him prime viewing angle. "It's not every day you see someone giving away that much money. Makes you wonder just where that sort of money came from~"

He could only chuckle nervously but she just smiled brightly. "Ehehe you know…"

"Well I do believe that your good deed deserves a reward!"

His first thought went straight to the gutter causing him to curse his perverted senseis. "W-What do you mean?"

She grabbed a hold of his arm and locked hers around his. He would have objected to being pulled along by this seemingly random woman but with his arm positioned to brush against her as they walked caused his mind to haze a little bit. Before he knew it they were standing in front of a ramen stand.

"What are we doing here?"

"You're reward of course!" She let go of his arm to his extreme disappointment and relief. "Now come on order as much as you want my treat."

Those seemed to be the magic words as his confusion turned into glee. "Well if you're sure." She giggled as he was already seated and calling out his orders. "Yo old man start me off with three pork and two vegetable ramen. Make it snappy too!"

The ramen chef looked at his dubiously. "Are you sure kid?"

"Yeah that should be good enough for a snack." He turned sheepishly at the woman who had taken the stool next to him. "Gotta save room for supper, ya know?"

The chef didn't know what to say but made the order anyway. As long as they payed he didn't care if they ordered a hundred bowls and only eat one.

"I'll have a bowl of your shrimp ramen please."

The ramen chef seemed to have only realized that she was there as well and quickly bowed in respect after realizing who she was. "I'm sorry Sofya-sama I did not realize you were there. Please the ramen is on the house."

Naruto looked at her with his eyes squinting in thought. That was the second time that someone had bowed down to her and called her –sama. "Are you someone important or something?"

She smiled mischievously. "Or something."

"Fine, don't tell me." He said pouting.

She giggled at the cute expression on his face. "Oh come now don't look like that. Look our food is here so no need to pout."

He grumbled something under his breath that sounded something like 'men don't pout' causing her to giggle once again. He was mid-bite when he realized something. "Hey we never introduced ourselves. I'm Naruto, Uzumaki Naruto!"

"It's nice to meet you Naruto. My name is Sofya Obertas but my friends call me Sofy."

"It's nice to meet you too Sofy and you can just call me Naruto." He grinned brightly making his eyes squint into slits. "And thanks for the ramen."

"It's the least I can do for someone willing to step in and mediate a potential problem." She gave him a teasing smile. "Even if your methods were a little… dubious."

His cheeks flushed slightly causing him to chuckle nervously and rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "Picked up on that didn't you."

"Oh don't worry I won't tell." She smiled at him reassuringly. "In fact it made me more curious about you. Did I see you with the Vanadis of Leitmeritz earlier?"

"Who Ellen?" Her mouth opened to a little 'o' surprised at his familiarity. "Yeah I guess you must have seen us walking by when we entered the town."

"Are you a part of her troops?"

"Not really," he said shrugging. "I've only been with Ellen for a little bit but I guess you could say that we're stuck together for the time being."

She looked thoughtful for a second before she looked at him seriously. "Are you and Eleonora friends?"

"Um, I guess," he wasn't completely sure how to respond to her when she looked so serious like that. Her tone seemed to have gone from friendly and innocent to something with more steel to it. "I mean I think she can be a little annoying and a little bit ditzy sometimes but for the most part I think she's sincere and a good person at heart."

Sofy looked thoughtful for a second before the seriousness she had before vanished and that warm and friendly aura she had returned. "That's great! I think Eleonora would benefit from having a wonderful friend such as yourself."

He blushed at her blunt words. "Hey do you know Ellen or something?"

She smiled mischievously at him once again. He was beginning to love and hate that smile. "Or something."

He groaned causing her to giggle cutely.

* * *

Naruto returned to the castle probably a little later than he had wanted to but the 'reward' for his good deed had somehow transpired to him being led around town by Sofy. He would have returned earlier but despite her light demeanor she could be really cunning. Using her innocence and her looks like that made it practically impossible to say no to her.

Not that he minded walking around town with a stunningly beautiful girl but he had a feeling that there would be consequences to his actions. So instead of returning and possibly be subjected to Ellen's anger, and most likely Lim, he was going to sneak in and hope they'll forget everything by tomorrow. He shuddered to think what those two would do to him specially Lim after he left her like that. He was a dead man walking.

Well he wasn't going to go down that easily. He was going to hide and sneak and hopefully by that time they'd have calmed down and his life spared. It probably wasn't the smartest of ideas to sneak into the castle where the ruler of the nation resided but when self-preservation was in the forefront of things to do the thought that this might be a bad idea never crossed his mind.

If there was one aspect of ninja skills he excelled at, it was stealth. Sure he preferred the straightforward in your face method but that didn't mean he couldn't be covert. There was a reason why only Iruka-sensei was the only one that ever caught him, and that was because he let him. If he didn't then no one would have ever known that he was the prankster that terrorized the village and gotten the attention he craved.

He didn't know it then but those pranking escapades had been amazing in building up his stealth skills. Despite probably being a little rusty he figured that he could still sneak into the castle undetected but what he failed to account was that while he was good at sneaking around he had no knowledge of the castle layout.

Naruto snuck into an open widow and breathed a sigh of relief. He didn't think it would be that heavily surveillance but then again it was equivalent to the Hokage tower so it made sense that there were so many guards around the place.

He looked around to find that he had managed to enter through one of the baths in the castle. The floor was a beautiful tiled marble and the large hot spring like bath was steaming with warm water. He looked around trying to find where the door was and froze in place when he heard the splashing of water.

He didn't dare move or breath. If it was a guy then he could hopefully pass it off but if it was a girl well he would experience what Jiraya probably experienced every day of his life. Being beaten for peeking at a girl bathing was not something he wanted to check off in his things he had done.

He slowly craned his head to look at who was in the bath and felt all the blood drain from his face. It was the same blue haired girl that Ellen seemed to have a rivalry with. She had soap in her eyes and was scrubbing her hair with some shampoo so she had yet to notice that he was in there with her.

He thanked kami for the small miracle but realized quickly that if he didn't find a way to hide then he wasn't going to live for much longer. He tried his best to look away but the way her soft skin glistened in its wet state was captivating.

His face burned crimson as his eyes traveled along her body. Ellen was wrong, she might not be as well-endowed as Sofy or Ellen but the girl was definitely 'grown'. She was more petite and proportionate and that was just as attractive.

He watched as she reached for the bucket of water with her eyes closed. She pawed around cutely trying to find it and the look of happiness that showed on her face when her hands managed to find it was absolutely adorable.

She poured the bucket over her head to rid herself of the suds and he could have died a happy man. Now he realized just what it was that had Jiraya coming back for more despite all the beating he got for peeping. The way the water traveled down her body was art in on itself.

He watched at the water droplets traveled down her soft cheeks and down to her slender neck. He gulped audibly when it slithered along the curve of her breast and disappear into the towel wrapped around her body. He wanted so badly to know just how far it had managed to travel but the mystery itself was both mind boggling and erotic.

His eyes move back up to her face hoping to see another little droplet with a similar path and instead found a pair of wide crystal blue eyes. They stared at each surprised to see the other. He didn't know how long they stayed rooted in that same position but he knew that this wasn't the time to freeze. No amount of words and excuses would help him in this situation.

So he did the only thing he could. He ran.

Things exploded into chaos after that. Somehow a spear appeared in the girl's hands and crystalized ice spikes materialized.

"PERVERT!"

The spikes were hurled at him causing him to jump out of the way. In his stunned state he barely just got out of the way. He held his hands up in surrender.

"W-Wait there's a perfectly good explanation for this."

Her wet hair shadowed over her eyes causing a cold tingle to run down his spine. Somehow the warm bath had iced over and he could see his breath.

"Die," she muttered under her breath. A deathly aura formed around her and Naruto knew right way that his life was over. "Die!"

He was forced to jump out of the way unless he wanted to be impaled by spears of ice. The girl had barely contained tears forming and a healthy blush on her cheeks.

She kept hurling ice spikes at him muttering 'die' over and over again. He managed to dance around all of the projectiles but he didn't notice the ground starting to freeze and he wound up slipping.

His head made a loud cracking sound as it impacted against the unforgiving tile floor. His momentum carried him crashing out the door but the pain in his head was much more prominent. He felt his head swirling and when the room finally stopped moving he saw the blue haired girl positioned over him with that spear of hers just above his stomach.

She looked murderous and he could see his life flashing before his eyes. So this was how he died. Death by peeking. God he really was his sensei's student.

"Prepare to die."

"—Mila!"

Both of them froze but for completely different reasons. Naruto was just frozen ready to have a spear shoved into his gut while Mila froze because of the voice that had called out.

"W-What are you two doing?"

Her head slowly turned to the person that had shouted out her name to see Ellen looking at them with wide eyes. When she looked down to see the position they were in her face turned crimson.

Even though she had her spear threatening to impale him she was also straddled his legs with only a towel on. She quickly jumped off and covered herself with her arms as if that would cover her dignity. She glared at the stunned form of Naruto.

"I won't hold back. Tomorrow you will die, you pervert."

She quickly scampered away leaving Ellen still wide eyed and Naruto completely stunned. "What just happened?"

"I should be asking you that." Ellen said looking at him seriously. "What did you do?"

Naruto tried to sputter out an excuse but everything he tried just made him sound more and more like a pervert. "I didn't mean to! I mean it just happened!"

She sighed and rubbed the bridge of her nose. "Well whatever it was, it sounds like Mila's not going to take it easy on you tomorrow."

He tilted his head in confusion. "Go easy on me? What are you talking about, what's happening tomorrow?"

"Don't you remember Mila's the one tasked with testing you." She looked pained at her own words. "And it looks like she's going to be going at you seriously."

Naruto gulped only remembering that tid-bit just now. He looked at the bathroom completely decimated by ice that looked like it would never melt and felt like he had just made life harder on himself.

"Crap."

 **Authors Note:**

 **Well I finally managed to update this story after a bunch of you pm-ed me to update it. Truthfully when I started writing this I didn't really have any concrete idea on what I wanted to do so it was mostly just a write as I go kinda thing. Well after so many people clamoring to have me continue this I took the time to formulate a real direction for this story and decided to write this one a little more seriously. So here's the fruits of my labor and I hope you all enjoyed the chapter.**

 **Don't forget to leave me a Review!**


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